1890.] 



MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON THE INDIAN GAUR. 



595 



by Dr. J. Anderson, who had the original in his possession in 

 Calcutta. It was a superb specimen, and was intended for the 

 Society's Gardens, but unfortunately met with an accident, from the 

 result of which it died, when being shipped for England. The 

 shorter legs, large dewlap, shorter head, and differently formed horns 

 are shown in the photograph (see iig. 2). 



I cannot concur in the view taken by Hodgson, Gray, Blyth, and 

 Horsfield that there is a difference amounting to generic distinction 

 between this group of flat-horned bovines and typical Bos, e. g. 



Fig. 2. 



Bog frontalis, cJ . From a photograph. 



B, taurus and B. indicus ; indeed I feel grave doubts as to the 

 generic distinction of the Bisons and Buffaloes from the taurine 

 cattle. Bos sondaicus is in some respects intermediate between Bos 

 gaurus and the typical forms, whilst the distinctions between Bos 

 coffer and Bos bubalus, or between Bos bonassus and Bos grunniens, 

 appear very similar in kind to those between Bos taurus, Bos bon- 

 assus, and Bos bttbalus, and not very different in degree. But if the 

 genus Bos be divided, the most natural sections appear to be the 

 taurine, bisontine, and bubaline ; and the members of the flat-horned 

 section agree far better, as has been, I think, shown by Lydekker 

 in his discussion of the fossil forms, with the taurine than with the 



