4j a. H. McMahon — JStotes on Fauna of Ghitrat. [No. 1, 



below the neck but only a white tuft in the black beard on the breast, 

 and in having shorter but more massive horns. The horns seldom exceed 

 30 inches in length. Any over 32 inches are practically unknown. The 

 horns however reach a circumference of from 10 to 12 inches round the 

 base, whereas the oorial seldom exceeds 10 inches. In naming the 

 Chitral animal oorial (Ovis vignei) as above I have followed the 

 nomenclature of Dr. Blanford (Fauna of India) who includes both the 

 shapu {Ovis cijcloceros) and oorial (Ovis vignei) under that head. 

 Their northern limits in Chitral are practically the same as those of the 

 markhor. 



Their rutting season begins about the 15th of November and 

 continues about a mouth. The young are born at an average elevation 

 of 9,000 feet. 



Of large mammals the following ai'e also common in Chitral. 



Leopard. — {Felis pardus). This, the common Indian leopard, is 

 numerous in the lower portions of the Chitral district. It is not to be 

 found in Gilgit. 



Snow Leopard. — (Fills uncia). Common in all the higher portions 

 of the country. 



Bears. — Unlike Gilgit, where the black bear (Ursus torquatus) is 

 very rare, in Chitral it is very common, and abounds in the Chitral 

 main valley and side valleys as far north as Keshan. 



Brown bears (Ursus arctus) only occur in tlie Chitral country at 

 the head of the Turikho and Yarkhun valleys. Its scarcity in Chitral 

 is a contrast to its abundance in most parts of the Gilgit district. 



Marmots. — The red or long-tailed Marmot {Arctomys caudatus) 

 with its shrill whistle-like call, is to be found in large numbers at the 

 head of the Ayun nullah, and at the head of the Yarkhun and 

 Baroghil valleys. It does not appear to have been seen elsewhere. 



[With reference to Marmots I might note here that since suggest- 

 ing in my notes on the Fauna oi Gilgit, that the Thibet, Himalayan, 

 and Long-tailed Marmots ( Arctomys himalayanus — hodgsojii,a,n(i caudatus), 

 might prove to be all one and the same species, I have been informed 

 by Dr. Blanford that the A. himalayanus and A. caudatus are distinctly 

 different forms as shown by the structure of their skulls.] 



Musk deer. — (Moschus moschiferus) is to be found in the Shishi 

 Koh valley, and is said to be fairly common on the mountains dividing 

 Chitral from Dir. 



Monkeys are to be found in the lower end of the Chitral valley. 

 They go about in herds.* I cannot say what species they belong to. 



* Capt. Gardou saw a herd of them at Mirkaudi on the bauk of the Chitral 

 river only 4,000 ft, above sea-level. 



