NATURALIST IN INDIA. 213 



The markhore {Copra megaceros, Hutton) is known in 

 Little Tibet as the rawacheh and tsuhrra or water-goat. It 

 is undoubtedly the '* rass " mentioned by Wood in his journey 

 to the sources of the Oxus. The markhore, signifying serpent- 

 eater, is found on the mountains of Persia, Afghanistan, and, 

 proceeding eastward, is plentiful on the ranges around the 

 Khyber Pass. From Torbela and Little Tibet it wanders down 

 the Suliman range as far as Mitenkote on the Indus, at the 

 junction of the latter and the Sutluj. It is common on the 

 north-western ranges of Cashmere, including Dardu ; from 

 thence a few herds are to be met with all along the southern 

 or Futi Pinjal as far as Kishtewar on the Chenaub. I have 

 not heard of its having been found eastward of the river Beas. 

 The northern ranges of Cashmere and Ladakh are apparently 

 without a single individual, perhaps on account of the ibex 

 and wild sheep frequenting these mountains. It is curious to 

 observe the differences as to size and curvature of the horns 

 of individuals from different localities. All the males observed 

 by me on the southern Pinjal had flat horns with few twists. 

 The specimen just mentioned had one perfect and two im- 

 perfect turns, while specimens from Peshawur ranges and 

 the Suliman were rounded, straight, and twisted like a cork- 

 screw. A pair of horns in the museum at Kurrachee in Lower 

 Scinde, and said to have been brought from Herat, resembled 

 again the Cashmere specimens. Some horns rise perpendicu- 

 larly from the head, whilst others diverge backwards and 

 outwards. I have examined the skins of many markhore from 

 different localities, and after allowing for changes consequent 

 on the season of the year, I could not discover any difference 

 worth mentioning. Mr. Blyth and Dr. J. E. Gray consider 

 this species is most likely a variety of the domestic goat, but 

 from all I can learn of its habits and appearance, there is 



