CHAPTER II 



THE GAUR (BOS GAURUS, OR GAVffiUS GAURUs) 



(Burmese, ' Pyoung') 



The gaur, or bison, as he is usually called, 

 is a very fine fellow indeed, and an old bull 

 furnishes one of the handsomest trophies a 

 sportsman can desire. In colour an old bull 

 is almost jet black, with yellow stockings. 

 The forehead is ash coloured, the eye pale blue, 

 and the body almost hairless. He differs from 

 the true bison in having thirteen pairs of ribs, 

 the bison proper having fourteen. Young bulls 

 and cows are dark chocolate in colour, with 

 white stockings. In the shade of the jungle 

 old cows often look quite black, and not un- 

 frequently are mistaken for bulls, and pay 

 the penalty accordingly. The forehead is con- 

 cave in shape, the nasal bones rising from it 

 in an arch which appears to increase with age. 

 The effect is to give an old bull the appear- 

 ance of having a Roman nose. This is very 

 noticeable when looking at the beast in profile. 

 The head is huge, but so proportioned to the 



