OF OX, NAMED GAYA'L. 525 



:napa'la, in a similar catalogue of animals con- 

 sidered relatively to their medical uses*, has 

 fallen into the same error ; and so, probably, other 

 writers may have done, who inhabit countries 

 where the Gaydl is little known. 



To correct this mistake, (without relying on 

 the separate mention of the two animals in the 

 Amerae6sha,) I shall cite no less an authority, 

 than the Indian scripture. The twenty-fourth 

 chapter of the Vajasan^yl Yajurveda, enumerates 

 the animals, which should be consecrated to va- 

 rious deities, at an As'ivamedlia. It is there di- 

 rected (v. 27), that three Risyas, (white-footed 

 Antelopes,) shall be consecrated to the deities 

 named Vasus ; and, towards the close of the next 

 verse (v, 2S), it is required, that three buffaloes 

 shall be presented to Varun'a, as many Gavayas to 

 Vrihaspati, and the same number of camels to 

 Twasht'ri. The commentator on the Veda, (Ma- 

 Hi o'hara,) explains Gavaya, as signifying, ' wild 

 cattle resembling kine.' It is evident, that this 

 suits better with the Gaydl, than with any other 

 animal known in India. 



From the authorities above quoted, the Sanscrit 

 synonym.a may be safely concluded. Bat it is not 

 so easy to determine a Persian name of this spe- 

 cies of ox. Gaujangnli, or cow of the forest, 

 mentioned by Mr. Dick's Vakil at CdcJihar, is a 

 suitable designation; but it does not occur, so 

 far as I can learn, in any Persian work of autho- 

 rity. It may be necessary to caution the reader, 

 not to suppose the Po'sian Gducohi (which lite- 

 rally signifies, as Mr. Gladwix translated itf, 



* In the Madana-v'm6dc-nie;ha7iti. 

 t Alfdz Adviyeh, 347. 



