202 IBEX. 



those hills and the Pulneys, but since the influx of tea and 

 coffee planters, and the gradually increasing crowd of hot 

 weather visitors from the plains, many of whom are keen 

 sportsmen, these unfortunate animals have been persistently 

 persecuted, and greatly reduced in numbers. 



This chapter will be confined to the pursuit of the ibex 

 of the Annamullays, for, although I have stalked on some 

 of the Neilgherry ibex hills, the vicissitudes of the chase 

 invariably brought sambur on the lapis, and I could not 

 resist following that fine animal instead. The ibex of the 

 Annamullays is precisely the same animal as that of the 

 Neilgherries and Pulneys ; a good buck stands about ten 

 hands high at the shoulder, and is a strongly built, heavy 

 animal, but as active as a monkey ; the horns are curved 

 and about fourteen inches long. As he grows old the hair 

 on his back becomes light in colour, and that on the flanks 

 darkens, the contrast forming a mark like a saddle, which 

 catches the eye at once, so that there is no difficulty in 

 picking out the old bucks. There were four ibex hills 

 within reach of my headquarters at Toonacudavoo in the 

 Annamullays, the first and worst was about seven miles 

 off, near Poolakul, and was but seldom frequented by 

 them, being merely a refuge in bad weather, or when 

 they had been shot at elsewhere, or hunted by panthers 

 their mortal enemies. 



There were two hills at Coochmullay, some ten miles 

 off. These could be shot from Toonacudavoo by starting 

 early and returning late ; it was a real hard day's work, 

 but generally worth the trouble. The last and best hill 

 was named Perringoondah Mullay, which, being inter- 

 preted, means "the hill of the fruit track" or "pass." 

 Partly on account of the distance and partly of the inter- 

 vening rivers and nature of the jungle, it was necessary 



