THE NYLGHAU. 



667 



furnished with a bold dark mane, and a long tuft of coarse hair hangs from the throat. 

 The female is smaller than her mate, and hornless. Her coat is generally a reddish- 

 gray instead of partaking of the slate-blue tint which colors the form of the male. The 

 hind legs of this animal are rather shorter than the fore-legs. Its name, Nylghau, is 

 of Persian origin, and signifies " Blue Ox." 



It does not seem to be of a social disposition, and is generally found in pairs inhab- 

 iting the borders of the jungle. There are, however, many examples of solitary males. 

 It is a shy and wary animal, and the hunter who desires to shoot one of these Antelopes 

 is obliged to exert his bush-craft to the utmost in order to attain his purpose. To secure 

 a Nylghau requires a good marksman as well as a good stalker, for the animal is very 

 tenacious of life, and if not struck in the proper spot will carry off a heavy bullet with- 

 out seeming to be much the worse at the time. The native chiefs are fond of hunting 



NYLGHAU. Portax tragocamelus. 



the Nylghau, and employ in the chase a whole army of beaters and trackers, so that 

 the poor animal has no chance of fair play. These hunts are not without their excite- 

 ment, for the Nylghau's temper is of the shortest, and when it feels itself aggrieved, it 

 suddenly turns upon its opponent, drops on its knees, and leaps forward with such 

 astounding rapidity that the attack can hardly be avoided, even when the intended 

 victim is aware of the animal's intentions. 



Even in domesticated life the Nylghau retains its hasty and capricious temper, and 

 though there may have been several successive generations born into captivity, the young 

 Nylghaus display the same irritable temper as their parents. Its disposition is very 

 uncertain, and not to be depended upon. One of these animals which had been reared 

 from a fawn by an officer, and was thought to be quite tame, turned suddenly upon its 



