21 THE TAHIE. 



to the hill I intended to beat. They got a 

 capital shot, and killed a fine old tahir. 



Seen from a distance, an old male tahu* has 

 more the appearance of a great wild hog, 

 than that of an animal of the goat kind ; but 

 on a nearer view is perhaps one of the noblest 

 looking beasts of the hills. When in con- 

 dition, before the I'utting season, he will 

 weigh nearly 300 pounds. The fore-parts are 

 of a light ash, deepening to a dark brown on 

 the hind-quarters, legs, and belly. The head 

 is dark ash, but at a distance appears nearly 

 black. The hair on the neck and shoulders 

 and fore-parts is long and shaggy, gradually 

 growing shorter on the hind-quarters. The 

 legs are rather short and very stout. The 

 young male is more of a brownish colour 

 throughout, and the hair not so long or 

 shaggy. There is perhaps no animal what- 

 ever, of which the female is so inferior in size 

 and appearance to the male, as the tahir. 

 Individually, the female would be called a 

 fine-lookmg animal, but she sinks into com- 

 plete insignificance when compared with her 



