512 BOVID.I. 



Horns of males are 12 to 16 inches long round the curve; the 

 largest recorded was 17 long and 9| in girth, reriuile horns are 

 found 11 inches long and perhaps longer. Basal length of a male 

 skull 9-7, exti'eme length 10"t), orbital breadth 4-9. 



Distribution. Nilgiri and Anaimalai hills, in (Southern India, 

 and the Western Ghats from the Anainialais to the neighbourhood 

 of Cape Comorin, chiefly at elevations of 4000-6000 feet, but 

 occasionally in suitable places at lower levels. 



Habits. The haunts of the present species are similar to those 

 of the tahr and of the true goats, but much more tropical. With 

 the exception of an ibex on the higher mountains of Abyssinia, 

 this is the only goat living south of the north temperate zone. 

 The Nilgiri goat is found usually in herds of from 5 or 6 to 50 or 

 60 amongst the crags and rocky precipices that border the Nilgiris 

 and other high ranges in the extreme south of India. It keeps 

 above the forest and but rarely enters woods. I haAe more than 

 once seen these animals feeding on the grassy hills at the top of 

 the Kundahs west of the Nilgiris, but their usual haunts are the 

 grassy slopes and precipitous crags on the edges of the plateau ; 

 they feed on the former in the mornings and evenings, and rest on 

 ledges amongst the cliffs during the day. They are quite as wary 

 and sharp-sighted as tahr or markhoz', and just as nimble and 

 alert on precipitous ground. An old doe, as with other goats, 

 usually acts as sentinel to the herd, and they always appear to 

 suspect danger from below and not from above. Many are killed 

 by leopards, a few by tigei's, and probably some by wild dogs. 



The old male has the usual strong odour of goats, and his flesh 

 is rank and unpalatable ; that of does and young males is excellent. 

 The breedini'-seasou appears to extend throughout a great part of 

 the year, kids being found with the herds, according to Col. Douglas 

 Hamilton, in most months. The female is said to produce two 

 young at a birth. 



Genus NEkORH^DUS, Ham. Smith (1827). 

 Syn. Capriconn^j (Jgilby (I8;j()). 



Tail short, hairy. Suborbital glands present, and opening by a 

 small circular orifice ; a large but shallow lachrymal fossa. Inter- 

 digital glands on all feet. No inguinal glands. A naked muffle. 

 Mammae 4. 



Facial and parietal regions of skull not separated by an angle, 

 but slightly rounded ; occipital plane forming an obtuse angle with 

 the parietal region. Orbits not projecting, the zygomatic arches 

 wider than the orbits. Nasals more or less truncated behind, 

 articulating with the maxillaries for a long distance. Horns in 

 both sexes scarcely differing in size, short, conical, closely ringed, 

 the rings small, rather irregular, and broken by longitudinal striae. 

 The direction of the horns is at first nearly continuous with the 

 facial plane, then slightly curved backwards. 



