132 E. Lyclekker— 0« tlie Zooloijical Position of the Bliaral. [No. 2, 



more or less nearly at right angles to the surface of the frontals ; the suture 

 connecting the lachrymal with the maxilla is placed in advance of the 

 suture between the maxilla and the malar. In the goats, the outer surface 

 of the lachrymal has no larmial depression, and the greater part of such 

 surface is continuous with the plane of the frontals ; the lachrymo-maxilla- 

 ry and malo-maxillary sutures are in one oblique line. In the bharal, there 

 is likewise no larmial depression on the lachrymal and the outer surface of 

 this bone slopes gradually away from the plane of the frontals ; while the 

 lachrymo-maxillary suture is only sliglitly in advance of the malo-maxillary 

 suture. In the form and relation s of the lachrymal, therefore, the bharal 

 is decidedly much nearer to the goats than to the sheep. 



The next most important caprine character presented by the bharal 

 skull, is in the basioccipital. In the true goats this bone is oblong in shape, 

 with a pair of tubercles at the posterior and anterior extremities ; of these, 

 the posterior pair are considerably the larger and more prominent, but both 

 are situated on the same antero-posterlor line. In the true sheep, on the 

 other hand, the basioccipital is always considerably wider in front than 

 behind, while the anterior pair of tubercles are much larger than the poste- 

 rior, and are placed wider apart. The basioccipital of the bharal agrees 

 exactly with the basioccipital of the goats, and is, consequently, widely 

 different from this jiart in the sheep. 



In the form of its lower jaw, the bharal agrees with the sheep, and 

 differs from the goats. 



In the structure of its horns, the bharal again presents caprine affini- 

 ties, lathe true sheep the horns are always thrown into parallel transverse 

 wrinkles extending completely round the horns ; the colour of the horns is 

 light brown, or gi-eenish brown, and the direction of the extremity of the 

 first curve is always downwards and forwards. 



In the goats, on the other hand, the horns are never thrown into coarse 

 and parallel transverse wrinkles, but are marked by finer striaa, and may or 

 may not carry knobs anteriorly. Their colour is dark blackisli brown : they 

 are always more or less angulated ; and the extremity of the first curve is 

 directed backwards and upwards. 



In the bharal, the structure and colour of the horns is the same as in 

 the goats ; the extremities of the horns are directed backwards and upwards ; 

 their angulation is less marked than in the goats. The liorns of the bharal 

 are indeed directed more outwards than those of the goats, and in this re- 

 spect they present some points of resemblance to the sheep ; the upward 

 twist of their extremities, however, shows an approximation to the curved 

 liorn of the Markhoor and is quite different from the curve of any sheep's 

 horn. 



