1894.] 



ME. O. THOMAS OF MAMMALS FROM OMAN". 



453 



mountains of Oman is a matter of the highest interest, for while 

 it is unquestionably a member of the group to which the name 

 Hemitragus has been given, its locality is in the middle of a region 

 inhabited only by true Goats (Capra), and therefore to some 

 extent its discovery confirms the separation of the two groups, and 

 shows that Hemitragus is not merely a local modification of Capra, 

 due in any sense to geographical conditions. 



In 1886 Mr. Sclater contributed to this Society 1 a very useful 

 account, of the genus Capra, recognizing ten species, among which 

 were included the two Hemitragi. How little the discovery of a 

 new Goat might have been expected is indicated by the fact that 

 of these ten species, the latest discovered, the Markhor, was 

 described in 1839 2 (and C. cylindricornis, omitted by Sclater, in 

 1841), so that there has not been a new valid species found for over 

 half a century, although no animals have been more keenly sought 

 after by sportsmen or more willingly investigated by naturalists. 



The species has been already described elsewhere, but it may be 

 useful to recapitulate some of its more important characters, 

 especially such as cannot be readily observed in the accompanying 

 figure. 



Kff. 2. 



Skull of Hemitragus jayakari. 



Size small, the stuffed specimen standing only about 620 mm. 

 (24| inches) at the withers ; in fact this appears to be, judging by 

 the skull, the smallest species of Wild Goat. Form comparatively 

 light and slender. Fur coarse, shaggy, and brittle, in texture 



i P. Z. S. 1886, p. 314. 



2 I am, of course, aware of tbe description by Dr. Keichenow of Capra dorcas, 

 Zool. JB. iii. p. 591 (1882), from the island of Joura; but there appears to be 

 so much doubt as to whether this may not be a feral Domestic Goat that it 

 can hardly be said to affect the remarks above made. Nor can the recent 

 distinction, whether right or wrong, of a third species from the Caucasus (C. 

 sevrrt~ovii, Menzb.) ; for it seems probable that this animal was known before the 

 date above mentioned, even if not distinguished from the others until recently. 



Pjroo. Zool. Soc— 1894, No. XXX. 30 



