1174 Reply to the Minute of C apt. Munro. [Nov. 



common to both, which any good description of C. ibex will supply : as in 

 the particulars in which other species differ from the one, they will also 

 differ from the other, — the horns and beard of course excepted, being the 

 only known discrepancies between the two.* Capt. Munro's remark that 

 the drawing I suggested to represent the female of C. megaceros, Hutton (v. 

 Falconeri), from comparison of it with Capt. Hutton's description of that 

 animal, should (as its native name implies) be considered rather as the female 

 of the Ibex figured, I willingly bow to as a just piece of criticism, in contrast, 

 I am sorry to think, with all the rest. 



From the whole tone of this minute, it is perfectly clear that Capt. M. 

 laboured under the erroneous impression that a large sum had been promised 

 to me for the performance of a certain task, and that I had not given the 

 Society the worth of their money ; and this it seems to be his object to show 



* In C. ibex the beard is constantly reduced to a mere rudiment, that must be looked 

 for to be observed (much as in Ruppell's figure of C. walie) ; while in C. sakeen it 

 forms a large and conspicuous tuft, as in C. cegagrus, C.jacla, and others. In Proc. 

 Zool. Soc, loc. cit., supra, it is mentioned that the Himalayan Ibex is very closely allied 

 to the Swiss one, having a similar rudimental beard, and colouring, so far as I could 

 learn : and acting upon the information supplied to me, in both cases, I mentioned in a 

 letter to the Secretary of the Zoological Society, written on board ship, and published in 

 their 'Proceedings' for Aug. 10, 1841, that the Nilgherry Ibex had " a considerable beard, 

 in which character" (misprinted characters) " it differs from the Himalayan Ibex." 

 This passage Capt. Munro has cited. Further, in corroboration of the statement of my fel- 

 low passenger Lieut. Beagin, I find that Dr. Baikie, in his ' Observations on the Nilgher- 

 ries,' p. 45, after describing a specimen of the female of the so called Nilgherry Ibex, 

 adds — "The male at a distance appears at least six inches taller, nearly black, with very 

 large knotted horns, and a long black or brown beard," &c. &c— On the other hand, 

 Mr. Jerdon assures me that the so called Ibex of the Nilgherries is no other than the 

 Kemas hylocrius, Ogilby, or Capra warryatoo of Gray (vide J. A. S. XII, 181, bisj ; 

 which animal I believe to be erroneously assigned by Mr. Gray to Nepal, as formerly 

 to Chittagong, and that it is quite peculiar to the Nilgherries. It is not an Ibex, but 

 akin to the Tehr (or Jharal) and to the Goral of the Himalaya. In these animals, the 

 horns are not elongated as in the true wild goats, nor have they any trace of beard on 

 the chin ; and they are very remarkable for possessing four developed teats, whereas all 

 the nearly allied animals have but two. (I do not consider N&morhazdus as being nearly 

 allied to them). As for the Himalayan Ibex, I find from examination of specimens, that 

 I was erroneously informed respecting the non-development of its beard. In the head of 

 a young male, belonging to Major Broome, now in the Museum, this measures 4 inches 

 in length.— P. S. In a letter just opportunely received from Mr. Jerdon, that naturalist 

 remarks—" Of course there is no such animal as Baikie's [Nilgherry] Ibex with knotted 

 horns and a beard ; though I have heard some sportsmen speak of a beard, yet not 

 one was ever produced that had one." 



