334 [No. 173. 



Description of a new species of Tibetan Antelope, with plates* By B. H. 

 Hodgson, Esq , Darjeeling. 



RUMINANTIA. 



Caprid^e. 

 Genus. — Gazella ? Capra ? New Genus. — Procapra mihi. 



Generic Character. — Horns in the males only. Nose ovine ; no 

 lachrymal or inguinal sinuses ; interdigital foss small ; mammae two. 



Type. — P. Picticaudata mihi. 



Ragoa and Goa of the Tibetans. 



Sp. Ch. — Goat antelope ; with medial, elliptic, black horns, inserted be- 

 tween the orbits, and directed upwards and backwards with a bold curve 

 and slight divergency ; the tips being again recurved forwards but not 

 inwards, annulated nearly to the tips ; the rings being complete, separate, 

 and 25 to 27 in number ; short, deep head, finely attenuated ; large eyes ; 

 long, pointed, and striated ears ; very short, depressed, triangular tail, 

 and long and delicate limbs. Pelage consisting of hair only, of medial 

 uniform length and fineness, varying with the seasons like the colour. 

 Above, sordid brown,f tipt with pale-rufous ; below, with the lining of 

 the ears, the entire limbs almost, and a small caudal disc, rufescent- white; 

 no marks whatever ; no tufts to knees ; tail black. Length from nose 

 to anus about three and a half feet. Height about two feet. Horns 

 along the curve, thirteen inches ; straight, eleven inches. Habitat : the 

 plains of Tibet, amid ravines and low bare hills : not gregarious. 



The above generic character, it will be seen, is drawn up in con- 

 formity with the system of Mr. Ogilby,J who, being the latest, is 

 probably the least inaccurate investigator of the vast and heterogeneous 

 group of antelopes. But the fact is, that by far too little is yet known of 

 the real and intimate structure of the majority of the species of this 

 group, to admit of any present arrangement of its contents into generic 

 divisions being satisfactory. A long tract of time will be needed to 

 perfect our knowledge of recorded species ; and in the meanwhile, it 

 seems better to distinguish generically new species whose organization 

 cannot be reconciled with the results of existing systematic researches, 

 than to go on loading the antilopine mass with additional discordant 



* The plates are being coloured and will shortly be published with the title page 

 and index of the present volume. — Eds. 



f In summer. — In winter canescent-slaty, smeared on the pale surface with fawn. 

 Internally the hairs slaty blue. 



{ Proceed. Zoological Society for December, 1836. 



