THE MOUNTAIN ANTELOPE. 1 5 



is not so scarce as it is on the Neilgherries. On those 

 mountains which are so open and undulating, like the downs 

 in England, with little or no woods or sholahs scattered here 

 and there as on the Neilgherries, the mountain antelope is on 

 ground suitable to its habits, but being swift of foot and keenly 

 alive to danger, not easily perceived when lying in the grassy 

 hollows, and fleeing away at the least alarm, it requires much 

 patience and woodcraft on the part of the stalker to ensure 

 success. This animal has all the appearance of a doe 

 antelope of the plains in colour, size, and general features, 

 but the colour is more sandy or very light rufous, and the hair 

 longer and coarser than the antelope of the plains, the throat 

 white and the same colour extending along the under parts. 

 The fetlocks are furnished with tufts of hair, and have a 

 bar of white across the front similar to that of the Nilgai, 

 the ears are much broader than the common antelope, and 

 have tufts of longish hair in the orifice. The horns are 

 smooth, tapering, and exceedingly sharp at the points, about 

 four inches in length and slightly curved forward, only found 

 on the males ; the tail between six and seven inches long. 

 The size of the animal about the same as Gazella bennetti." 

 McMaster says: "having obtained the head of one of 

 these antelopes killed at Hassanoor in Southern Mysore, I 

 applied to the best authority I could think of, viz., Colonel 

 Douglas Hamilton, who had I knew a specimen of the 

 mountain antelope, which he had killed at Pykara on the 

 Neilgherries, and who is probably the most accomplished 

 sportsman in the Madras Presidency. I forwarded at the 

 same time to Colonel D. Hamilton the head. His reply is 

 as follows, the latter part refers to the horns of both his 

 specimen and mine, sloping from the skull at different angles 



