384 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



between Mandalay and the Shweli river, in the Ruby Mines 

 district. I have seen them in the latter district roaming 

 about in herds of thirty and forty. 



Habits. So far as is known, similar to those of Bos 

 gaurus, except that Bos sondaicus, from the greater pro- 

 portional length of the legs, is probably less of a climber, 

 and more restricted to the plains of high grass. My own 

 experience of these animals bears out this statement, and I 

 have noticed in the Ruby Mines district that I have never 

 come upon tsine at any elevation beyond 1500 feet. 



They are very wary animals, and most sportsmen find 

 them much harder to stalk than gaur, which can often be 

 approached to within a few yards without much difficulty. 

 Their sense of sight, hearing, and smell is very acute, and 

 they can often wind one when quite a couple of hundred 

 yards off". When wounded, and walked up in cover, or 

 driven to bay, they attack and charge home at a tremendous 

 pace, and are considered by Burmans to be as dangerous, if 

 not more so, than gaur. The latter, moreover, are not such 

 fast movers as tsine. I have heard of native hunters being 

 chased round trees by a wounded bull tsine just as a dog 

 would hunt a rat. 



They have a very gamey appearance, and it is a very 

 pretty sight to watch a herd of these animals feeding out in 

 the open, or dashing away across an open glade when alarmed. 

 Tsine feed principally upon bamboo shoots, leaves, and grass, 

 and inhabit open tree or bamboo forests, except when dis- 

 turbed or lying up during the heat of the day, when they 

 penetrate the densest patch of " kaing " grass or undergrowth 

 they can find. 



During the hot weather they are invariably found resting 

 in some open shady spot, or on a piece of rising ground, 

 where they can not only benefit by any breeze which may blow, 

 but where the approach of an enemy can also be at once 

 detected. When suspicious of any danger, and no scent of 

 the sportsman has been obtained, a solitary bull will remain 

 perfectly still till the object of its suspicion appears in view, 

 when it makes off, after emitting the customary snort of 

 alarm. As a rule they feed very noiselessly, but when 



