OF OX, KAMED GAYa'l. 517 



however, that he is an animal very little known 

 beyond the limits of his native mountains, except 

 to the inhabitants of the provinces above-men- 

 tioned. 



* The Gayal is of a dull heav)- appearance ; but, 

 at the same time, of a form which indicates much 

 strength and activity, like that of the wild buf-. 

 falo. His colour is invariably brown; but of dif- 

 ftrent shades, from a light to a dark tinge ; and 

 he frecjuently has a white forehead, and four 

 white legs, with the tip of the tail also white. 

 He has a full eye, and, as he advances in age, 

 often becomes bHnd; but it is uncertain whether 

 from disease, or from a natural decay. His dispo- 

 sition is gentle; even when wild, in his native 

 hills, he is not considered to be a dangerous ani- 

 mal, never standing the approach of man, much 

 less i)earing his attack. The Cucis hunt the wild 

 ones for the sake of their flesh. 



* The Gaxjcil delights to range about in the 

 thickest forest, where he browses, evening and 

 morning, on the tender shoots and leaves of dif- 

 ferent shrubs ; seldom feeding on grass, whij^i he 

 can get these. To avoid the noonday heat, he re- 

 tires to the deepest shade of the forest ; preferring 

 the dry acclivity of the hill, to repose on, rather 

 than the low swampy ground below; and never, 

 like the buftalo, wallowing in mud. 



* Gaif/ils have been domesticated among the 

 Cucis' Worn time immemorial; and without any 

 variation, in their appearance, from the wild stock. 

 No diiference whatever is observed in the colour 

 of the wild and tame breeds : brown of different 

 shades being the general colour of both. The 



LI 3 



