1875.] some Indian Ruminants. 17 



that there are large numbers of them in Europe. Blyth, who was certainly 

 not disposed to unite distinguishable forms, was well acquainted with both 

 races, so were Gray, Jerdon, and Adams, yet every one of these naturalists 

 looked upon the different forms of horn as of no specific importance, no 

 other difference having been shewn to exist in the animal, and the form of 

 the horns varying in each locality. There was a living male from near 

 Peshawar recently (and there may be still) in the gardens of the Zoological 

 Society of London with very straight horns, differing, if my recollection 

 is correct, from the type of G. megaceros of Hutton, almost as much as this 

 does from the Kashmir race, and on a photograph published by Mr. E. 

 Ward, four distinct forms of Markhor horns are represented. Hutton in 

 his original description of G megaceros says, " They (the horns) are spiral- 

 ly twisted but differ much in the closeness of the volutions, some turning 

 round a straight and direct axis from the base to the apex, others taking 

 a wider or more circular sweep." Indeed so notorious is the fact that 

 these horns vary in curvature, that Blyth for a long time looked upon the 

 animal as a feral race of tame goat and not a truly wild animal*, and Vigne, 

 who met with the Markhor both in Afghanistan and Kashmir, and who 

 noticed the difference in the horns, pointed out that no other distinction 

 existed in the animal. 



As in the case of Capra cegagrus I give the synonymy below. In this 

 I do not separate the two forms, because, so far as I am aware, no sufficient 

 evidence has yet been adduced to shew that they deserve separation. But 

 should such evidence hereafter be brought forward, I may repeat that the 

 name Capra Falconeri will stand for the Kashmir form with openly spiral 

 horns, and that of C. megaceros for the Suliman race with the horns more 

 nearly approaching a straight line ; it being remembered that much 

 variation exists in both cases. 



Capea Ealco^eri. — The Marhhor. 

 Markhor goat, Vigne, Personal Narrative of a visit to Ghuzni, Cabul, &c. p. 86, and 



vignette, p. 67. — Travels in Kashmir, &c, II., p. 279. 

 JEgoceros (Capra) Falconeri, Hiigel : Wagner, Munch. Gel. Ariz. IX, p. 430 (1839). 

 Markbur, Blyth P. Z. S. 1840, p. 80.— Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. VII. 1841, p. 196, 



note. 

 ? Bass, Wood, Journey to source of the Oxus, p. 369 (1841). 

 Markhor, Burnes, Cahool, p. 387 (1842). 

 Capra megaceros, Hutton, Calcutta Jour. Nat. Hist. II, p. 535, PI. XX, (horns), (1842). 



J. A. S. B., XV, p. 161. 

 Capra Falconeri, Hiigel ; Wagner, Beitrage zur Saugeth. Faun, in Hiigel' s Kaschmir, 



p. 579, (with a lithograph of the animal), (1844). 

 JEgoceros Falconeri, Wagner, Schreber's Saugethiere, Suppl. IV, p. 499, Tab. 



CCLXXXVII E,— lb. V, p. 466. 



* P. Z. S. 1840, p. 80. 

 3 



