248 WILD UI-'K IN CHINA. 



followed the blood marks in the snow for some distance, 

 but the wounded animal got clean away with the rest of the 

 herd. The Bndorcas cannot however be a difficult animal 

 to hunt, for the native hunters, who can do practically no 

 execution at a range of more than forty yards, shot numbers 

 of them, and they shot three stray specimens for us. Our 

 largest male scaled somewhere between four and five 

 hundred pounds, and it took three of us over three hours' 

 work simply to rip the skin off him. The distribution of this 

 curious ruminant seems to be discontinuous, or at least it is 

 very local; the Shensi hunters declared that it was confined 

 to Tai-pei-san, but such is not the case with the genus at 

 any rate, though it is possible that the Shensi species is 

 distinct from that found much further west. We did not 

 again hear of the animal till we reached the high limestone 

 ranges of south western Kansu, and here the Rudorcas was 

 described as a piebald or mottled animal. It is fairly common 

 in some parts of southern and western Szechwan also, and 

 the American Consul at Chung-king was credited with having 

 been the first man to buy a specimen from the natives and 

 claim to have shot it himself. No doubt our three specimens 

 will shed a little more light on the affinities ef this obscure 

 animal, though they can hardly add to our knowledge of its 

 habits and mode of life. 



Over the crest of the watershed, a day's march beyond 

 the village of Ling-t'ai-miao, the rugged peaks and screes 

 which typify the Tai-pei-san ridge cease, and we travel for 

 several days through deep limestone gorges, the cliffs 

 towering so high above us that in many places it is impossible 

 to obtain any idea of the mountains behind. The civet cat 

 seemed to be particularly abundant in these regions, judging 

 by the number of skins brought to us. The natives know it, 

 in these parts at any rate, by the extraordinary name of 

 "nine jointed donkey," on account of the nine rings, 

 alternately black and white, with which the tail is marked : 

 though where the resemblance to a donkey is derived from 

 would puzzle most people. The wild cat is also comparatively 

 common in these mountains, though it is of no particular 

 interest beyond showing the extreme limits in variation to 

 which a species can run. One day the natives brought in a 

 badger, which for some reason had wandered out of his 

 winter quarters, and being doubtless sluggish in his move- 

 ments consequent upon a prolonged slumber, \vas killed by 

 the men. The Hanchong plain to the south of the Sin-ling 

 was less stocked with game than the Sian plain had been, 

 though cranes and bustard were abundant : and right up 

 through Kansu, we came across nothing new till we reached 

 Choni, on the borders of the Tibetan territory, though the 



