MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 843 



Field of 13th October 1906 with an accompanying reproduction of another 

 photograph : — 



" The photograph of a young takin (Budorcas taxicolor) from the Sikhim 

 district has been kindly given me by Mr. Claude White, Commissioner of that 

 province. It is of great interest, as being the first photograph of this curious 

 ruminant ever taken ; while the animal it represents is, I believe, the first 

 example of its kind ever seen alive by a European. The animal was captured 

 by natives and brought to Mr. White's camp, where it lived for some time, and 

 appeared so healthy that strong hopes were entertained of the possibility of 

 transporting it to England. Unfortunately, it died suddenly, it is supposed 

 from having eaten the aconite which abounds in some parts of the district. 

 When the photograph was taken, the young takin was believed to be less than 

 a year old, the horns being mere straight prongs ; nevertheless many of the 

 characteristic features of the species are shown, especially the shaggy coat, the 

 thick, clumsy limbs, and the comparatively short, rounded ears. 



From the small size of the latter, as compared with those of the scrub- 

 dwelling serow, it is natural to suppose that the takin is an inhabitant of open 

 country. This, Mr. White informs me, is actually the case, the creatures 

 going about in pairs (or threes) on the open zone of the mountains immediately 

 below the snow level. It is reported to be extremely fierce in disposition — 

 much more so than even the serow — and that the natives are frequently 

 wounded, if not killed, when they stalk the creature. So far as Mr. White is 

 aware, no European has ever seen a live takin in its native haunts, much less 

 shot one. This, I presume, is due to the country it inhabits being inaccessible 

 to sportsmen. 



One of the two skins recently presented by Mr. White to the British Museum 

 (mention of which has previously been made in the Field) shows that the 

 female takin has four teats, thereby agreeing with the serows, gorals, and 

 musk-oxen. This serves to confirm the view that these four groups of rumi- 

 nants are nearly related. From the serows and gorals the takin and the musk- 

 ox differ by the extreme shortness of the cannon bones — a feature shared with 

 the Rocky Mountain white goat, which may be regarded as another member 

 of the same assemblage serving to connect the takin and musk-ox with the 

 serows and gorals. Very important is the fact that in the caverns of Cali- 

 fornia occur remains of fossil ruminants which are probably more or less inter- 

 mediate between some of the living groups." 



EDITORS.] 



No. XXXII. -BREEDING: GROUNDS OF THE COMMON LOCUST. 



There has been so much speculation about the breeding grounds of the 

 migratory locust (Acridium j.eregrinurn) that it may be worth while to record 

 the fact that it has been breeding this year among the low hills, and also I am 

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