596 UNGULATA. 



round in front and angular behind ; these horns project horizontally and 

 then turn upward and forward, the point curving outward ; the neck is 

 short, the withers are elevated into a bison-like protuberance, the tail is. 

 long, and covered with bushy hairs that reach the ground ; the legs are 

 short and powerful, the hoofs wide, and the false-hoofs well developed 

 The coat consists of fine, long hair which, on the brow, falls in curling 

 tufts over the face, and on the neck forms a thick waving mane ; the legs 

 from the knee downward are covered with smooth, short, close hair. 

 The adult Yak is of a beautiful deep black color, Avith a silver-gray stripe 

 along the spine. It is from the long tail of the Yak that the Mongols 

 and Turks form the so-called " Horse-tails " which are carried before 

 high officers of state, their number indicating the rank. The tail is used 

 in India as a fly-flapper, under the name of chowrie. The chowries used 

 by princes, or in religious ceremonies, are mounted in gold or silver, and 

 cost large sums, the white ones being especially valuable. The Chinese 

 dye the tails bright red, and wear them as tufts in their caps. 



In Thibet the Yak has been domesticated, and is used for riding and 

 as a beast of burden. It always retains, however, a good deal of its 

 original wildness, and is subject to paroxysms of rage. It lives on good 

 terms with the common domestic cattle, and a cross-breed of great robust- 

 ness is held in high esteem. This variety, often called the " Plough Yak," 

 is altogether a more plebeian-looking animal, humble of deportment, 

 carrying its head low, and almost devoid of the magnificent tufts of long 

 silken hairs that fringe the sides of its more aristocratic relation. Their 

 legs are very short in proportion to their bodies, and they are generally 

 tailless, that member having been cut off and sold by their avaricious 

 owner. There is also another variety which is termed the Ghainorik. 

 The color of this animal is black, the back and tail being often white. 

 When overloaded, the Yak is accustomed to vent its displeasure by its 

 loud, monotonic, melancholy grunting, which has been known to affect 

 the nerves of unpractised riders to such an extent that they dismounted, 

 after suffering half an hour's infliction of this most lugubrious chant, and 

 performed the remainder of their journey on foot. 



Irie Yak is found on the highlands of Thibet between twelve to 

 fifteen thousand feet above the sea. It forms small troops in all parts of 

 Northern Thibet, and large herds where pasture is plentiful. In summer 

 they appear on the grassy meadow-lands near the streams, often to the 

 number of a thousand. They disperse to feed, but collect again to 



