6482 



Notice of the various 



valleys ; but after the first showers, and when verdure begins to re- 

 appear, they again disperse and range about freely. In wet and windy 

 weather they again resort to the valleys to escape its inclemency, and 

 also to avoid a species of fly or gnat which harasses them greatly. In 

 the months of July and August they regularly descend to the plains, 

 for the purpose of licking the earth impregnated with natron or soda, 

 which seems as essential to their well-doing as common salt is to the 

 domestic animal when kept in hilly tracts. 



" ' The period of gestation is with the gaour the same as with the 

 domestic animal ; they drop their young in the months of September 

 and October. I once had one brought to me so young that the navel- 

 string was still unseparated. I should think that it was then about the 

 size of a common country cow's calf of four months' old. It seems a 

 slow- growing animal. A calf I had for three years was evidently in 

 every respect still a mere calf. They seem very difficult to rear. I 

 have known it attempted at different ages, but never knew the animal 

 live beyond the third year. Mr. Cockburn has tried it in vain, in its 

 native climate, the Sherwaroya hills, and I have made the attempt at 

 Salem repeatedly. At one time I had five in my farm-yard ; one lived 

 for three years ; but this one, with all the others, died suddenly in the 

 same week from some disease, marked by refusal of food, running from 

 the nose, and an abominable stench from the mouth. A similar disease, 

 it may be noted, prevailed (as I was informed) among the gaour of the 

 Sherwaroya, Shandamungalam and Nilgiri hills. The calves I had 

 never became in any degree domesticated : the domestic cow could 

 never be induced to suckle them.' " 



A more domestic-looking little beast than the gaour-calf just outside 

 our window it would be difficult to imagine ; and when an epidemic 

 prevails over the country, as in the instance here noticed, it cannot but 

 be regarded as altogether an exceptive case. The fact happens to be 

 that the gaour, in addition to the gayal,is actually domesticated in the 

 interior of the Tippera hills. Of this we are assured by the Rev. J. 

 Barbe, a well-qualified observer, who to this day is (we believe) the 

 only European who has penetrated into that little-known region. His 

 verbal description left no doubt whatever on the subject ; and in proof 

 of his having correctly determined the species, as distinguished from 

 the gayal, he presented a pair of veritable gaour-horns to the Cal- 

 cutta Museum as those of one of the domesticated animals which he 

 saw. 



The Hon. Walter Elliot thus describes a fine Dandelly gaour which 

 fell to his rifle. He had tumbled over a precipitous bank into a river, 



