300 HOOFED ANIMALS 



The horns are conical instead of flat, and though they curve 

 upwards they do not bend inwards at their tips. The 

 Gayal is very easily domesticated, and in its native regions 

 many of the herds, though half-wild, return to their owners 

 at night after roaming the forest all the day. Unlike the 

 zebu, the Mithan is never used as a beast of burden or in 

 agricultural labour. 



The Kukis of the Chittagong region, in capturing the 

 animal, trade upon its liking for salt and a particular kind 

 of earth. Balls of these mixed substances are thrown down 

 in some jungle area that is known to be frequented by a 

 wild herd. The animals will not leave the district so long 

 as there are balls to be consumed, and the hunter spreads 

 them about for a period of five or six weeks. During this 

 time he sends out his tame Gayals to mix with their wild 

 brethren, and then proceeds to familiarise the wild oxen 

 with himself. Presently he can go among the mixed 

 animals and stroke the tame ones without affrighting the 

 wild ones, who in due course allow themselves to be 

 caressed. Thus it comes about that at the end of the fifth 

 or sixth week the Kuki villager is able to drive home the 

 mixed herd, there to complete the subjection of the latest 

 additions to his stock. 



The Banting, or Javan Ox (Bos sondaicus), more nearly 

 approaches the typical domestic oxen than either the gaur 

 or gayal. Its range extends throughout Burma, the 

 Malay Peninsula, and some of the larger islands beyond ; 

 in Indo-China it is by no means uncommon. It is a 

 dweller of the plains rather than the uplands. Lending 

 itself very well to domestication, the Malays keep large 

 herds of Bantings. The domesticated animal mixes freely 

 and breeds with the ordinary humped cattle of India. 



YAK (Bos grunniens}. 

 Coloured Plate XIX. Fig. 2. 



The Yak, or Grunting Ox, appears to be a connecting 

 link between the true Oxen and the Bisons. It is practi- 

 cally restricted to Tibet and the adjacent mountains and 



