272 ' ANMtOPINA. 



horns ; nitizzlc bovine ; four teats ; usually white ringed markings above the 

 hoofs, and many with white spots on the face and body. 



There are two types) of this group in India, and many in Africa, the 

 white markings being most highly developed in an African antelope, 

 Tragelaphus scriptus. The Indian species both frequent jungly ground. 



Gen. PoUTAX, C. H. Smith. 



Syn. Damalis. 



Chd)'. — 'Horns only in males, shoi't, ^curved, distant, smooth ; eye-pit 

 rather small ; upper lip broad, ample ; nostrils approximate ; tail long, 

 tufted ; a short erect mane, and a tuft of hairs on the throat of the male. 

 Of large size. 



There is a slight pit in front of the orbit, and anterior to this a small 

 longitudinal fold in the middle of which there is a pore, through which 

 exudes a yellow seci'etion from the gland beneath. In the only species of 

 this genus the back is rather short, and slopes downwards from the high 

 withers, and the neck is deep and compressed like that of a horse. 



226. Fortax pictus. 



Antilope apud Pallas. — Bignred F. Cuviee, Mamm. 3, 100-101. — A. 

 tragocamelus, Pallas. — Blyth, Cat. 512. — Damalis risia, H. Smith — 

 Elliot, Cat. 57. — Tragelaphus hippelapkus, Ogilby. — Eoz or Eojh, H., 

 in Northern India. — Ru-i, Mahr. and H., in the south. — Nil-gat, generally ; 

 the male often called simply Nil or Lil. — Gurayi and GUriya, of Gonds. 

 — Maravi, Can. — Mdnu-potu, Tel. 



The Nil-gai. 



Z)escr.— Male of an iron-gray color ; lips, chin, lower surface of the 

 tail, stripes inside the ears, rings on the fetlocks, and abdomen, white ; 

 head and limbs tinged with sepia-brown ; mane, throat tuft, and tip of tail, 

 black. 



The female is a good deal smaller than the male, and tawny or light 

 brown. 



Length of a male about 6|- to 7 feet ; height at the shoulder 4 feet 

 4 inches to 4| feet; horns 8 to 9 inches, rarely 10 ; ear 7, very broad ; tail 

 18 to 21 inches. 



The Nil-gai is found throughout India, from near the foot of the Himala- 

 yas to the extreme south of Mysore, but is rare to the north of the 



