1880.] R. Lydekker — On the Zoological Position of tlie Bliaral. 



133 



The profile o£ many goats, like the Ibex, is markedly concave ; in 

 others, however, as the Thar, it is nearly straight ; the profile is also nearly 

 straight in the sheep and hharal, and we cannot, therefore, draw any classi- 

 ficatory inference from this character. 



In other cranial characters, there do not seem to be any well marked 

 distinctions between sheejD and goats. It, therefore, seems pretty evident 

 that as far as cranial characters go, the hharal is imdoubtedly much more 

 closely related to the goats than to the sheep. 



The bharal is, however, externally distinguished from the goats, by 

 the absence of any odour or any trace of a beard or mane in the males 

 There are feet-pits (interdigital pores) in all the feet of the bharal, in which 

 respect it agrees with the sheep, and differs from the goats, in which these 

 pits are either absent (Hemitragus), or present only in the fore feet 

 {Capra). The tail, according to Mr. Hodgson, is unlike that of the sheep. 



From the above comparisons it will be seen that in the osteological 

 characters of the head, the bharal is nearer the goats than the sheep, while 

 in its external characters it is nearer to the sheep. The cranial characters 

 pointed out above appear to me to be of such importance as to preclude 

 classing the bharal in the genus Ouis, and I accordingly think that Mr. 

 Hodgson's genus Fseudois should be retained for its reception. The ani- 

 mal most certainly forms a very closely connecting link between the genera 

 Gapra and Oois, and it seems to be very difficult to say to which it is most 

 nearly related. 



