CHAPTER XXII. 



THE FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE. 



Tetraceros Quadricornis. 



Throughout India — Chdrsinghd. In Dera Dun — Chokd — Dodd. 



In Chota Nagpur — Chdorang. 



The Four-horned Antelope is scattered pretty generally over India, being found in 

 suitable places from the foot of the Himalayas to Central India. I have met with it in the 

 Sewaliks, in the Terai, among the low jungles in the neighbourhood of Si'tapiir in Oudh, 

 and among the rocky hills of Chota Nagpur. Being of a shy and retiring nature I fancy 

 that it often exists where its presence is little suspected. 



The Four-horn is one of the smallest of the antelope tribe, being considerably smaller 

 than the Indian Gazelle. The color is a reddish brown, becoming lighter on the under 

 parts ; the fetlocks are curiously marked with white, like those of the Nilgao. The hair is 

 very coarse in texture, resembling that of a deer more than the usually glossy coat of an 

 antelope. The hoofs are long, slender, and upright, and the animal always walks as if on 

 tiptoe. The male only is furnished with horns, the upper pair of which are usually four or 

 five inches long, while the lower pair never exceed an inch and a half, and are frequently 

 mere knobs. 



Four-horned Antelope are generally found alone, or frequently in pairs : they conceal 

 themselves in long grass or among low bushes, and somewhat resemble hares in their habits. 

 They are seldom to be seen out feeding, but usually jump up at the feet of the hunter and 

 bound away at a great pace. I have observed that they generally make their appearance 

 when least expected, and I do not recollect ever meeting with one among the Sewaliks when 

 I have been actually hunting for them. 



The only one I have ever shot was in the grassy jungles to the south of the Sewaliks 

 in 1863. We had been out Tiger-shooting, and were on our way back to the tents, when a 

 Four-horned Antelope galloped past my Elephant at full speed. I fired a snap shot, and 

 unluckily hit the animal in the head with a 12-bore shell, blowing it to pieces and render- 

 ing it useless for preservation. The horns, as it happened, were very good ones, which 

 made the destruction of the head the more unfortunate. 



At Si'tapiir I went out once or twice to try for Four-horns, but was not lucky enough 

 to get a shot. The specimen here photographed was shot by a soldier in the Rifle Brigade, 

 from whom I procured it. 



In Chota Nagpur, in 1883, I saw several Four-horns, but as I was hunting Gaur I would 

 not fire at them. 



Q 



