ASTOR AND THE PIR FANJAL MARKHOR 



ZZZ 



Horns of I'ir Tanjal Marlvhor. 

 Shot by Major J- '■ Shirres, in the Kajnai^, April 



1SS4. 



ASTOR and the PIR PANJAL MARKHOR 



(Capra falconer! typica, and C. falconer! cashni!r!ens!s). 



The markhor, of which there are four local races, probably passing 

 more or less completely into one another, introduces us to the true 

 goats {Capra). The males differ from the tahr b)' their much larger 

 horns, whose length greatly exceeds that of the head, and likewise 

 by the presence of a more or less distinct beard on the chin. In all 

 the varieties of the markhor the beard is extended so as to form a 

 fringe on the throat and chest ; the hair on the body being also 

 elongated. Moreover, the horns form a spiral, quite unlike the 

 scimitar-shape characteristic of the ibex and common goat. In the 

 Astor {C. falconcri typica) and Pir Panjal {C. fakoneri casJimiricnsis) 

 races of the markhor the horns take the form of an open corkscrew- 

 like spiral, with comparatively few turns, recalling those of the kudu ; 

 the spiral being most open, the spread widest, and the turns fewest in 

 the Astor variety. Height at shoulder of a Gilgit specimen, 38^ 

 inches; of Kashmir specimens, from 38 to 41 inches; weight from 



