THE HORNED ANIMALS— OX TRIBE. 



477 



ward. The fur is short, thick, sleek and lustrous, 

 and is uniform in Length nearly all over the body; it 

 becomes only slightly longer at the throat, forms a 

 rich tuft on the lower portion of the tail and also 

 pendent curly tufts or fetlocks on the ankles of the 

 fore-legs. The prevailing color is a deep black; the 

 hair of the forehead is grayish or fallow brown, the 

 tufts on the fore-legs are of a rich sepia brown, and 

 the under portion of the lower lip, the corners of 

 the mouth and a narrow margin on the upper lip are 

 white. 



The Gayal is a native of the mountainous regions 

 to the east of the Brahmaputra river as far as Bur- 

 mah; and it is possessed of nearly as good climbing 

 powers as the Yak. It is usually found in herds, 



milk of the Gayal is said to be very rich and the 

 flesh of the animal is excellent. 

 The Gaur a Near The Gaur or Gour (Bos gaurus) ex- 

 Kinsman of the hibits a great affinity to the Gayal, 

 Gayal. but seems to differ from it always in 



various internal and external anatomical features, 

 especially in the number of ribs. Sir Walter Elliot, 

 in describing a Gaur slain by himself, says that it 

 differs materially from the ordinary Cattle of India, 

 rather showing a close approach to the Bison, by 

 which name English sportsmen are wont to call it. 

 The head is shorter than that of the common Gx, 

 the forehead very broad, the frontal outline of the 

 face curved, the eye and ear smaller than those of 

 the Buffalo, the neck short, thick and stocky, the 



THE GAUR. Inhabiting India, Burniah and the Malay Peninsula, the Gaur is one of the handsomest and largest of the Ox tribe. The broad fore- 

 head, stout figure and strong horns are prominent physical characteristics of the animal. {Bos gaurus.) 



goes forth to graze in the morning, evening and on 

 moonlit nights; and during the oppressive noonday 

 heat it retreats into the innermost recesses of the 

 woods and rests there in the shade, chewing the cud. 

 It is fond of water, but not of mud, and therefore 

 shuns swamps, but likes to cool itself in clear moun- 

 tain waters. Its temper is described as gentle and 

 trustful. It never attacks human beings, but rather 

 sedulously and anxiously shuns them. It defends 

 itself from the attack of beasts of prey with great 

 courage, however, and is said to put to flight even 

 the Tiger and Panther. If it does itself flee from 

 an enemy its keen senses and its agility and speed 

 secure its safety. 



The natives have domesticated the Gayal or 

 Mithun from time immemorial, and either breed it 

 pure or cross it with other breeds of Oxen. The 



body stout, the chest broad. The horns are very 

 much expanded at their bases and taper to a point; 

 they are set on laterally and curve backward and 

 upward. The skin is unusually thick on the upper 

 part of the neck and shoulders as well as on the 

 thighs, and is clothed with short, dense hair, which 

 grows slightly longer on the throat and chest and 

 forms a curly tuft between the horns. The prevail- 

 ing color is a beautiful dark brown, brightening into 

 a deep ochre yellow on the under surface, then 

 changing into a dingy white on the legs, into light 

 grayish brown on the forehead and deepening into 

 grayish black around the eyes. According to El- 

 liot's measurements the total length of a full grown 

 bull of this species would be fourteen feet four 

 inches, the tail measuring thirty-four inches; the 

 height at the shoulder is about six feet two inches. 



