83 



SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 



55. Gazella subgtjtturosa, var. yarkandensis. PI. XY. 



Ant'dope subgntturosa, Giild,, Act. Acad. Petrop., i, p. 251, 

 Gazella subgntturosa, Brooke, P. Z. S., 1873, p. 545. 

 Kik 1 or Saikik and Jairan, Turki of Yarkand and Kashghar. 



1, 2, 3, 4, $, 5 9,6 young $, Yarkand or Kashghar. No labels. 



It is perhaps a question whether the Eastern Turkestan form of gazelle should not be 

 raised to the rank of a species. It differs principally from the typical G. subgntturosa in the 

 very much darker markings on the face and in the much smaller degree to which the horns 

 diverge. The horns are very similar to those of a skull from Kandahar, 2 hut much less 

 openly lyrate than in a head from Isfahan, or in the type figured by Giildenstadt. The size 

 appears rather larger than that of the Persian gazelle. But as there is some variation in face- 

 markings amongst Persian specimens, it is perhaps better to consider the Yarkand race as only 

 a variety. 



The following is a description of the skins brought, all of which appear to have been 

 killed in winter. 



Horns approximate at the base, regularly but slowly diverging, and curving very slightly 

 backwards till near the tips, where they are turned suddenly towards each other and forwards. 

 There are rings on the horns nearly to the tips. The largest number of rings on any of the 

 horns brought is 14. These horns are each 12£ inches long measured round the curve. 3 

 No horns in the female. Hair long and rather coarse. The longest hairs on the back mea- 

 sure about 2 inches. The general colour above is rather light rufous-brown (fawn colour). 

 The hairs are brown at the tips, pale lilac-grey below. There is no admixture of wavy woolly 

 fibres with the hairs. 



The pale lateral line 4 is distinct, but does not differ much in colour from the back, being 

 only a little paler ; the dark lateral band beneath it and the dark pygal bands are faint ; abdo- 

 men and posterior inner portion of thighs white. 



Long hairs round the base of the horns, and the central facial band of blackish-brown, 

 light-brown and white mixed, there being a larger number of very dark hairs in front of the 

 horns, and a more or less distinct blackish line from the anterior base of the horn, down each 

 side of the central facial band, to a blackish spot about two-thirds of the distance from the 

 base of the horns to the muzzle. Light facial streaks very distinct, dirty white ; dark facial 

 streaks well marked, mixed blackish-brown and light-brown, blackest just in front of the eye 

 around the orifice of the anteorbital gland. Ears light-brown outside, tail blackish-brown; 

 knee brushes variable, dark-brown more or less mixed with light-brown. There are some 

 black hairs round the base of the hoofs and along the hinder portion of the feet between the 

 true and supplementary hoofs, 



1 I learn from Captain Biddulph that Kik means "deer" in a very loose sense, being applied also to wild sheep. Saikik means 

 desert deer, whilst Jairan is the correct name for gazelle. On the other hand, Captain Trotter tells me that Kik is used for the male. 

 Jairan for the female. 



2 Figured in Geol. Zool. Abyssinia, PI. 1, p. 4. This figure might almost have been taken from a pair of Yarkand horns. 



s Since this was written, I have seen a much finer pair of horns belonging to Captain Biddulph and brought by him from 

 Turkestan. They measure each 14 inches in length round the curve, the tips are 5j inches apart, and the circumference of each at 

 the base 5 inches. They diverge nearer to the head than the other specimens do, and hence their curve agrees better with that of 

 typical G. subgntturosa. 



4 For definition of the terms "lateral lines," "facial band," &c, see Sir V. Brooke, P. Z, S., 1873, p. 536. 



