58 ANTILOPIDiE. 



somewhat irregular rounded knobs. This peculiarity, Captain Hutton 

 adds, is caused by the acute edge of the horn being chipped and worn 

 away by friction and combat, but the general opinion of the natives in 

 Sind is that these rugose prominences are caused by the animal letting 

 itself down on its horns in descending crags when pressed or when 

 it has missed its footing. At the base the horns are destitute of these 

 prominences. The following are measurements of horns of females 

 given by Captain Hutton: — 



1. Length along curve, from base to apex, 13 inches, distance 

 apart at apex 5| inches, apart at base 1^*, basal circumference 4". 



Horns much wrinkled with transverse rugosities. 



2. Length along curve 12," between the apices 4,* distance 

 apart at base 1," circumference at base 3| inches. The horns much 

 wrinkled with transverse rugae. 



Rah. — Sind ; the Pubb range of hills, also the mountainous regions 

 of .Belooohistan, Afghanistan, Sooliman and Hazara ranges, Persia and 

 Asia Minor. It inhabits a great range of climate from 1,000 feet 

 above the sea, close to the coast of Beloochistan, and Mr. Blanford 

 (Eastern Persia) adds on the peaks of the Elburz, ten degrees further 

 north at a great elevation. 



Captain Hutton, who has paid much attention to the habits of this 

 species, and also of the wild sheep [Ovis Cyloceros), says : " The attitude 

 of the animal, when on the alert, and springing fearlessly from crag to 

 crag in the rocky fastnesses, is bold and haughty, giving an idea of 

 great muscular strength and agility, which the animal possesses in no 

 ordinary degree. But its speed is not sufficient when it descends to 

 the plains to preserve it from the greyhound. It is, however, only 

 when driven from its haunts by the intensity of the winter that he 

 condescends to visit the lowlands, and that but rarely. Its usual 

 quick pace is a kind of canter, which, among hills, enables it rapidly 

 to evade pursuit, but is not nimble enough, nor is the stride sufficiently 

 long to _ suit it to the plain lands, though for scaling mountainous 

 heights it is admirably adapted. The leaps these animals take are 

 tremendous and almost pass credibility, and the faculty or power of 

 stopping dead-short must be of much service in leaping down crags to 

 avoid falling into the yawning chasms and precipices of the mountains." 



It is a very shy and wary animal, and, like the Himalayan species, 

 hard to circumvent under any circumstances, and " Spindrift, " in an 

 article on ibex ahooiing (" Asian," July 18S0), which is equally applicable 

 to Sind, says : " But whatever chances of success a manby himself may 

 have in pursuit of the animal, the chance is just halved if he be accom- 

 panied by a friend, for there are two men, instead of one, who may 

 slip, sneeze, stumble, show themselves, or do the hundred and one 

 things that may spoil a stalk." He adds—" If, however, quite by 

 yourself, wary as the animal is, you can generally get near enough for 

 a shot by exercising a little patience and paying attention to a few well- 

 known rules. For instance," he says, " you must make an early start 

 and climb at once to the top of the ridge on the slopes of which you 



