Species of Bovine Animals. 



6507 



dering the valley of the Brahmaputra, as also the Chittagong and 

 Tippera hills ; but we have not been able to trace it further southward 

 on sufficiently reliable evidence — not even in the Ya-ma-doung 

 mountains, which separate Arakan from Pegu, though it is likely 

 enough to occur there, and also to spread far eastward. Heifer, in- 

 deed, notices " Bison guodus" (evidently a misprint for gavceus) as an 

 inhabitant of the Tenasserim provinces ; but he is not sufficient au- 

 thority, and we cannot learn that his statement has been confirmed. 

 The gayal is everywhere a hill species, and does not thrive in the 

 plains, away from its native forests ; and we have observed that both 

 the gaour and the gayal avoid the sunshine in lower Bengal, even 

 during the height of the cold season. As remarked by Mr. Macrae, 

 the gayal " delights to range about in the thickest forest, where he 

 browses, evening and morning, on the tender shoots and leaves of 

 different shrubs ; seldom feeding on grass when he can get these. 

 To avoid the noon-day heat, he retires to the deepest shade of the 

 forest — preferring the dry acclivity of the hill to repose on, rather than 

 the low swampy ground below ; and never, like the buffalo, wallowing 

 in mud. He is of a dull heavy appearance," continues that gentleman, 

 " yet of a form that indicates both strength and activity, and which 

 approaches nearly to that of the wild buffalo ; his head is set on like 

 the buffalo's, and is carried much in the same manner, with the nose 

 projecting forward ; but in the shape of the head he differs consider- 

 ably from both the buffalo and cow, the head of the gayal being much 

 shorter from the crown to the nose, but much broader between the horns 

 than that of either; he has a full eye, and as he advances in age often 

 becomes blind ; but it is uncertain whether from disease, or from 

 natural decay. The withers and shoulders of the gayal rise higher in 

 proportion than those of the buffalo or cow, and its tail is shorter, 

 seldom falling lower e. its terminal tuft of hairj than the bend of 

 the ham [hock-joint !]. Its colour is in general brown, varying from 

 a light to a deep shade ; it has at times a white forehead and [always?] 

 white legs, with a white belly and brush. The hair of the belly is 

 invariably of a lighter colour than that of the back and flanks. The 

 gayal calf is of a dull red colour, which gradually changes to a brown 

 as it advances in age. 



" The disposition of this animal is gentle ; even when wild in his 

 native hills, he is not considered to be a dangerous beast, never stand- 

 ing the approach of man, much less bearing his attack. The Kukis 

 hunt the wild ones for the sake of their flesh. 



" Gayals have been domesticated among the Kukis from time 



