1830.] 
Antilope Hodgsonii. 
349 
known by the name of Chiru. The Residency had not been long established at 
Cat,hm£ndu when endeavours were made to ascertain the truth of this story : but 
the ludicrous game that was sometimes started during this quest, (a small horse with 
a corneous prominence in the middle of its forehead, caused by disease, was once 
brought in, from a distance of some 400 miles,) the experienced recklessness of 
Bhdteah asseveration, together with the continued non-appearance of the real 
object of enquiry, at length caused the abandonment of the search. In 1822, how- 
ever, or thereabouts, the Bh6tealis, to revive our curiosity, produced a singular 
horn, which they avowed was that of the Chiru ; and added, dauntlessly, that the 
Chiru was a unicorn of the deer kind. Unluckily for them, the bend of the horn 
proved it evidently to be one of a pair ; the core also, at the base of the horn, demon- 
strated it to belong to an antelope ; and Mr. Du Vaucel, to whom 1 sent, some short 
while afterwards, several of these horns, very justly preferred the analogy of na- 
ture to Bhdteah assertion, and laughed at the idea of this noble weapon resting on 
the suture of the skull. 
Mr. Du Vaucel, however, agreed with me, that the horn produced was a novelty, 
and probably belonged to some very noble antelope. I therefore persevered in my 
endeavours to obtain it; and at length, after great pains, was only able to realize 
my hopes, through the kindness of the first minister of this state. In 1824 or 25, 
(as far as I remember) General Bhim S6n sent a live Chiru to the Residency, which 
he informed us he procured from the Lama of Digerchi, whose pet the Chiru had 
been from youth upwards : and it may serve to show the difficulty attending 
the obtaining of this species, to add, that I have never since been able to get another 
alive or dead. Yet, as I am led to believe, this rare, new, and beautiful animal, 
though carefully and fully described by Dr. Abel and myself, is still, after a 
lapse of 5 years, unknown to Natural History — both specimen and descriptions 
having probably been wrecked by the untimely death of my friend Dr. Abel. 
After these prefatory remarks, which were necessary to explain my reasons 
for recurring to the subject, 1 proceed to describe the Chiru. 
Antilope Hodgsonii. 
The Chiru Antelope. 
Habitat Tibet. 
Specific Character. — Antelope, with very long, compressed, tapering, suberect 
H subly rated ?] horns, having a slight concave arcuation forwards, and blunt 
annulations (prominently ridged on the frontal surface) except near the tips : a 
double coat, throughout, grayish blue internally, but superficially, fawn color- 
ed above, and white below : a black forehead, and stripes down the legs ; and a 
tumour or tuft above either nostril. . . « 
This most rare and beautiful animal measures, in extreme length, about five 
feet • and rises, to a height, at the shoulder, of from 2f, to 3 feet. He belongs 
to the more elegant section of the graceful genus Antelope-or that which 
more resembles, in figure and form, the Cervine than the Goat kind. In his 
well proportioned frame are exhibited every requisite for extraordinary exertions 
of speed and for not inconsiderable ones of strength. His limbs are long and 
fine but not weak: his neck, rather elongated and slender: his head, well 
formed and illustrated with the matchless eye of the Gazelle, but somewhat 
deficient in tapering downwards, owing to the nasal tufts, and to a rather 
unusual quantity of hair and bristles about the mouth and nose. In Ins ordinary 
attitude, the line of his back is nearly horizontal ; the neck is bowed outwards 
and downwards, so that the head is carried not much above the line of the 
back • and there is a stoop in the hind legs whereby, though they are rather 
longer (and stouter too) than the fore legs, the hind quarters are not perceptibly 
ia Th d e ears and tail are moderate, well formed, and devoid of any peculiarity : 
so likewise are the suborbital sinuses. The horns are exceedingly long ; measuring, 
in some individuals, nearly two feet aDd a half. They are placed very torwaul on 
the head and may be popularly said to be erect and straight, though a iclei- 
ence to the specific character will show that they are not strictly one or the other. 
Full as the specific character is on this point, a few additional woids may 
be well devoted to it. 
i This word is bracketed, and followed by a note of interrogation, because I am 
doubtful of its correct applicability ? 
