GAUR, GAYAL, AND BANTENG 
former declares sladang in the Malay Peninsula the most formidable quarry 
on earth. ‘In India, where the range of the gaur is the hilly, wooded districts, 
they are more apt to be found in herds of some size, and, because of the more 
open sections, less difficult of approach, and less dangerous to the hunter. 
In Malaya it is snap shooting, where the game, on being wounded, turns 
hunter, and, concealed, awaits the sportsman, who must approach with 
infinite caution, with senses always alert, and hand ever ready if he would 
stop or turn aside the vicious charge.” It was in that region that Colonel 
Sayres was tossed and killed by a wounded bull gaur. 
On the other hand, Mr. Hornaday tells me that in India he has shot five 
bulls and three cows. ‘Not one of them manifested the slightest disposi- 
tion to charge, nor did any of their companions. Outside of the excite- 
ment of the chase, I found the actual killing of ‘bison’ no more dangerous 
than shooting Texas cattle. Of course when wounded and closely cornered 
they will charge.” 
The gayal or mithan is a smaller, milder sort, little known 
except as a semidomestic race kept for the sake of meat by the 
hill tribes of northeastern India and Assam; it does, 
however, occur wild in Tenasserim. A third species, 
the banteng or tsine, occurs both wild and tame throughout 
Burma and down to Borneo, large herds being kept by Malays 
in Java and Bali. Its haunts and habits are those of the gaur, 
from which it differs in being slighter, less ridged along the 
back, and in other particulars giving it a resemblance to the 
aurochs. The bulls are black, but the cows are reddish brown, 
like the young, and both sexes are distinguished by a large 
white patch on the hindquarters. As in the case of the other 
species, domestic races interbreed and also cross successfully 
with the Indian humped cattle. This latter curious animal, 
characterized by the fatty hump over the fore shoulders, a 
convex forehead, large, drooping ears, an enormous dewlap, and 
sloping haunches, is now known only by domestic races, and no 
one can say what was its true form as a wild species or where 
was its original home. 
Gayal. 
“While the largest individuals,” says Lydekker, who knew them well, 
“stand as high as a buffalo, the smallest are but little taller than a calf of a 
R 241 
