Chapter XI: Indian Shooting (8)

The beast looks such a gentleman with his lean head and small ears, his powerful back and quarters, and his dignified carriage. Alas! it is all looks! His smell is something fearful, and manners he has none. Ibex and burrel can be trusted, when they are lying down after their morning feed, at all events not to move far; but markhor, no. You may watch a flock feeding till late in the morning, and they will lie down comfortably, apparently for the day; you begin your stalk with everything in your favour; suddenly there is a clatter of stones and a cloud of dust, you peep over a spur, and see the whole flock galloping wildly down the hill. After going half a mile, they probably pull up, begin feeding again, and again stretch themselves out on the ground as if nothing had happened. This little manœuvre probably necessitates your climbing painfully back to the top of the ridge, and starting your stalk afresh, the intervening ground being impracticable. Once more you try, leaving a man on the top of the hill to watch and signal what the beasts do. You stalk carefully on; the watcher makes no sign; you creep on the last hundred yards, to the exact spot you wish to reach, and there is nothing. You search the ground as far as you can get, and there are only a few footprints leading over impassable ground; you climb back again, probably the only way you can go, vowing vengeance on the watcher, and he tells you that the markhor lay quiet till you were beginning your last crawl in--every second he expected to hear the shot: suddenly they jumped up and disappeared, and owing to the steepness of the ground he could not tell which way they had gone. This sort of thing will happen over and over again, particularly in Astor.

Perseverance combined with good management always brings luck in the end, but big bags of really fine markhor are not to be expected; one fair chance for each fortnight on the shooting ground is a good allowance.

It is always a pretty sight seeing markhor move down to their feeding ground in the evening from the crags above where they have been lying during the afternoon. Full gallop they come, sending the stones whizzing in front of them, over the most breakneck ground as if it were a level plain; rearing up on their hind legs and butting at one another, a venerable old fifty-incher probably playing with his great-grandson, a young spark of only twenty; the whole lot of them thoroughly enjoying the frolic. Ibex will play, and prettily too, but no beast appears so thoroughly to enter into the fun of a good skylark as a markhor. The master buck of the flock, however, seems to keep the youngsters in pretty good order. The writer was much amused once, watching a flock coming down a particularly difficult cliff. The best buck led the way, the flock following in single file soberly enough, the ground apparently was not safe even for a markhor to frolic on; turning a corner, the old fellow came to a wall of rock that, after careful inspection, he did not think good enough to descend, and he turned back to take another route. Just as he made up his mind, one of the smaller bucks in rear evidently chaffed him. The old fellow went for him at once, drove him right up to the edge of the cliff with his horns, as nearly as possible pushed him over, and then, with an air of great importance, led the flock round his own way.

2. Astor

3. Trans-Indus

4. Afghanistan

Varieties of markhor]

Hitherto most writers have divided markhor into only two varieties, viz. the spiral and straight horned; but the type of horn obtained in Astor is so different from that in Cashmere, and again that in Afghanistan from that in the lower Trans-Indus ranges, that any sportsman can distinguish them at a glance.

The writer has consequently adhered to Colonel Kinloch’s theory, that there are four distinct varieties of this goat, classifying the two spiral types under the name of _Megaceros_, and the two straight-horned types under that of _Jerdoni_. In the British Museum the name _Falconeri_ is applied to all four.

The first variety of _Capra megaceros_ is that found in Cashmere on the Pir Punjal and Kajnag ranges; its horns make occasionally three complete spirals, whereas the horns of the second or Astor variety rarely have more than one; and as the horns are measured along the curve, it follows that a 40-in. horn from Astor is far bigger than one of the same length from Cashmere. The Astor markhor is also a larger animal than the Cashmere one, often measuring a couple of inches higher at the shoulder.

As regards habits, the Cashmere markhor is a thoroughly forest-loving beast. He will come out to eat the young grass on the upper slopes of the hill, but his real home is among precipitous cliffs in the middle of forest, and well worth watching those cliffs are when the sun first comes out after heavy rain. If there are any markhor about, they are pretty sure to appear and sun themselves.

The Astor variety, on the contrary, live almost entirely in the open, only taking to the strips of forest when driven there by the gadflies in the summer. In the winter they come down to the cliffs overhanging the main streams, working up about May, till they join the ibex, who never seem to leave the higher ground. In June both ibex and markhor may be seen feeding together. The writer saw a combined flock of nearly one hundred beasts, male and female, in the amphitheatre at the head of the Dashkat or Datchnar valley. Stalk them? Of course we tried, in spite of the long odds against one with a flock of that size. There was a ravine leading up towards them, which we reached all right by crawling on hands and knees through some thick low scrub; then we crept up the ravine till it died away into open ground and found ourselves planted within three hundred yards of the head of the flock, some dozen buck markhor and ibex. There we lay for nearly an hour and a half hoping they would feed towards us, and a capital opportunity we had of comparing the relative size of the beasts; the markhor with his superior height and length making the ibex look quite cobby in comparison. Of course an old buck markhor must needs feed ahead of the rest, well out of shot, get our wind, and lead the whole lot at a gallop back to the rocks on the far side of the basin. There the ibex stayed, but the markhor went clean away over the crest of the hill.

In the evening, while we were watching the ibex in the vain hope they would come down again, behold on the very line the markhor had left by in the morning three male ibex and another flock of markhor appeared descending into the basin. As the markhor were coming down at a good pace we started to cut them off. On came the markhor, which we recognised as a flock we had been hunting all the previous week on another part of the ground. A stiff climb took us near where we had last seen them, and creeping on the shikari who was in front came almost face to face with one, upon which the alarm call began to sound furiously. A run forward only brought the writer within sight of a pair of horns moving off about eighty yards away, but while pushing on to get a shot, suddenly the buck that had convinced us as to the identity of the flock by his upright horns, came into full view broadside on at fifty yards. He rolled over stone-dead to the shot, and as he was lying doubled up with his head underneath him a gun-carrier was sent down to him, while I ran on fast to try for another shot. The rest of the flock, however, had vanished, and as the chase was abandoned a noise was heard: looking round, the spectacle presented itself of the beautiful 50-in. markhor (such was the first impression; in reality it was not quite forty) slipping from the clumsy Cashmeree’s hands, rolling down the slope over one precipice, then over another, and lodging by the greatest luck just on the top of a third; the horns were sadly scarred and chipped, but were fortunately not broken. Many heads of both markhor and ibex get utterly spoilt in Astor by the animals falling over cliffs when shot.

As regards _Capra Jerdoni_, the straight-horned markhor, the first variety, with a perfectly straight axis to the horn, is found all over the low ranges that run parallel to the right bank of the Indus below Attock; it used to be found in fair numbers near Sheikh Budin, a small station near Dera Ismail Khan, and in the hills, or rather the steep ravines, in the plateau behind Dera Ghazi Khan. The country beyond these places belongs to more or less inhospitable tribes and, for the present at all events, is practically closed against the sportsman. Near Quetta markhor are reported to be obtainable, and in Beluchistan there should be a chance of getting _Capra ægagrus_ and _Ovis Blanfordi_ as well as _Capra Jerdoni_. Hunting straight-horned markhor is scarcely a summer amusement, as the heat is terrific on the low hills, and drinkable water is extremely scarce.

The second variety is found in Afghanistan, another practically closed shooting ground. It appears to be a link between the straight horn and the spiral, more generally approaching the spiral in size of body and general appearance. As the Astor variety probably extends some distance to the west of Gilgit, and this second variety is found in Northern Afghanistan, it seems possible that its corkscrew bend may be more pronounced towards its eastern limit and less so as it extends to the south-west. The illustration on p. 312 gives the four marked types.

Kinloch notes that markhor horns twist the reverse way to those of domestic goats; and the writer, after looking at many hundreds of tame goats in India for the express purpose of studying their horns, and after inspecting the heads in the British Museum and other collections, is able to confirm the fact that the horns of all wild animals that twist at all do so outwards, while those of tame animals appear invariably to twist inwards.

_Measurements_

+------------+------+----+-----+------+-----+------+----+--------------+
| |Height|Weight |St |Girth|No. of|Span| |
| Authority |at |as |Horns| ra |at |spi |at | Remarks |
| |shoul-|shot|round| ig |base | ra |tips| |
| |der | |curve| ht | | ls | | |
+------------+------+----+-----+------+-----+------+----+--------------+
| CAPRA MEGACEROS |
| No. 1. _Cashmere_ |
| | ins. |lbs.|ins. | ins. |ins. | |ins.| |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Col. Cuppage| .. | .. | 63 | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | 59 | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Sportsman’s |
| | | | | | | | |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | 56 | .. | .. | .. | .. | ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major }| .. | .. | 55½ | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
|FitzHerbert}| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | 42 | .. | 53 | .. | 9½ | 2½ | 26 |{‘Sportsman’s |
| | | | | | | | |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | 48½ | .. | .. | .. | .. | ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Col. Kinloch| 44 | .. | 47½ | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Large Game |
| | | | | | | | |{ Shooting’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | 47 | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Sportsman’s |
| | | | | | | | |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Capt. H. }| .. | .. | 45 | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
|Brooke }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | 43 | .. | 11 | 2½ | 31 |{‘Sportsman’s |
| | | | | | | | |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Col. Kinloch| .. | .. | 41 | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Large Game |
| | | | | | | | |{ Shooting’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | 40 | .. | .. | .. | .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Average of }| .. | .. | 40 | .. | 11 | .. | .. | |
|good head }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| _Not classified_ |
|Mr. A. O. }| .. | ..A| 54½ | .. | 10½ | .. | 26½|{Rowland |
| Hume }| | | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. M. }| .. | ..A| 54 | .. | 10⅝ | .. | 33¾| ” ” ” |
| Kennard }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sir V. }| .. | ..B| 53¼ | 42½ | 11½ | .. | 52 | ” ” ” |
| Brooke }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. R. Ward | .. | ..B| 53½ | .. | .. | .. | 37½| ” ” ” |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. }| .. | ..A| 53 | 24¼ | 9¼ | .. | 30¼| ” ” ” |
| Hume }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. M. }| .. | ..B| 52¾ | 39¾ | 12⅛ | .. | 33¾| ” ” ” |
| Kennard }| | | | | | | | |
| A, probably Cashmere; B, Astor. |
| | | | | | | | | |
| No. 2. _Astor_ |
|Major Ward | 41 |240 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Sportsman’s |
| ” | .. | .. | 63 | .. | .. | .. | .. |{Guide |
| ” | .. | .. | 61 | .. | .. | .. | .. |{to |
| ” | .. | .. | 53 | .. | 11 | .. | 45 |{Ladak, |
| ” | .. | .. | 52 | .. | 12½ | .. | 43 |{&c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Capt. H. }| .. | .. | 49 | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Sportsman’s |
|Brooke }| | | | | | | |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | 48 | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|The Writer | .. | .. | 39¼ | .. | 13 | .. | .. | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | 38 | .. | 14 | .. | .. | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Average of }| .. | .. | 40 | .. | 13 | .. | .. | |
|good head }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| CAPRA JERDONI |
| No. 1. _Trans-Indus_ |
|H.R.H. }| .. | .. | .. | 38½ | 10½ | .. | 23⅞|{Rowland |
| Duke of }| | | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| Edinburgh}| | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | .. | 36 | .. | .. | .. |{‘Sportsman’s |
| | | | | | | | |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sir E. G. }| .. | .. | 47⅞ | 33 | 9¼ | .. | 19¾|{Rowland |
| Loder, }| | | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| Bart. }| | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. }| .. | .. | .. | 32¼ | 9¾ | .. | 28 | ” ” ” |
| Hume }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Col. Kinloch| .. | .. | .. | 32 | .. | .. | .. |{‘Large Game |
| | | | | | | | |{ Shooting’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sir V. }| .. | .. | 45¼ | 30¾ | 8¾ | .. | 21½|{Rowland |
| Brooke }| | | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
|British }| .. | .. | .. | 30½ | 10¾ | .. | .. |Skull No. 120 |
| Museum }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Capt. H. }| .. | .. | .. | 29 | .. | .. | .. | |
|Brooke }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Sir E. G. }| .. | .. | 39 | 27⅛ | 8⅜ | .. | 21½|{Rowland |
| Loder, }| | | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| Bart. }| | | | | | | |{Measurements’|
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. G. }| .. | .. | .. | 25½ | .. | .. | .. | ” ” ” |
| Landseer,}| | | | | | | | |
| ‘The }| | | | | | | | |
| Field,’ }| | | | | | | | |
| 1873 }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. }| .. | .. | .. | 25⅜ | 8⅜ | .. | 21½| ” ” ” |
| Hume }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Average of }| .. | .. | .. | 24 | 10 | .. | .. | |
|good head }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| No. 2. _Afghanistan_ |
|Major }| .. | .. | 48 | 38 | 13 | .. | 27 | |
|FitzHerbert}| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|British }| .. | .. | 40 | 32½ | 12 | .. | .. |Skull No. 121 |
| Museum }| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | .. | 35 | .. | .. | .. |{‘Sportsman’s |
| | | | | | | | |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | | |
|Average of }| .. | .. | 40 | 30 | 12 | .. | .. | |
|good head }| | | | | | | | |
+------------+------+----+-----+------+-----+------+----+--------------+

XXXVII. IBEX (_Capra sibirica_)

_Cashmere, ‘Kale’; Ladak, ‘Skeen’; Pangi and Lahoul, ‘Tangrol’_

Ibex vary very much in colour according to age, locality and the season. In their winter coats the old bucks, though looking almost white at a distance, and showing up conspicuously among the brown young bucks and females, are really very patchy looking at close quarters, the head and part of the neck being a sepia brown, the middle of the body generally yellowish white with a dark stripe on the back, and the quarters again brown, with legs of dark sepia. In the summer they are sepia-coloured all over, the head and neck often darker than the body--in fact, an old buck looks sometimes almost black at a distance; the beard is thick and very dark brown.

Ibex are to be found pretty nearly everywhere in the higher ranges of hills from Gilgit to Spiti, though they do not appear to cross the Sutlej to the eastward of Spiti. To name a particular valley would be only misleading. Favourite districts soon get shot out as regards good heads, and the only trustworthy information to work on is that of the year previous. If you get a good nullah, there is no sport in the Himalayas more charming. Parts of the ground no doubt will test your nerve as a cragsman, but it does not entail the perpetual climbing of markhor and ther ground, and in April, May and June a fair number of good chances may be relied upon. As Ward says, ‘Patience and steady shooting are what are necessary; a man does not require to be a first-rate walker or a really brilliant shot during that season; but he does require to be enduring, and not too eager about getting up at once to his game.’ Of course, if the sportsman blazes away at indifferent heads he will not get the big ones; but if he sees a good head one day and cannot get it, if he does not disturb the beast, he will see him again next day somewhere near the same place, and sooner or later be able to close accounts with him; ten heads, all over thirty inches, which would probably include two or three over forty inches, would be a far better bag for two months’ work than twenty heads in the same time, including a lot of rubbishy little things about twenty-five inches.

If you wish thoroughly to enjoy your stalk, and the ground is not too difficult, insist upon going first and making your shikari carry your rifle behind you. He will probably object, but be firm, and listen to none of his plausible arguments; carry out your own stalk without asking his advice, simply telling him what you mean to do. When you are within two hundred yards of where you expect to get your shot, make him lie down, take the rifle from him and go on alone. Warn him beforehand that if he moves till you tell him, you’ll fine him. When you reach your place, get your wind before you look over; you will see perhaps fifteen or twenty ibex in front of you; don’t be in a hurry; make sure that you have really selected the best head for your first shot, and take pains to get it home. When you fire, the smoke will hang in your eyes, and you will dimly see the flock scatter. Keep your head now--don’t show yourself; and if you are in about the right place, a little above, but nearly on a level with the flock, and about eighty yards off, not closer, you will probably see the flock walking up the hillside, occasionally turning round to gaze at the 40-incher lying dead below them. With cartridges handy, and steady shooting, you should add the next two or three best heads to your score. You have no shikari at your elbow nudging you, and whispering advice just as you are going to fire, starting off the flock by showing himself immediately after your first shot, and finally, when you have got all the heads you care for out of the flock, imploring you to shoot a worthless little brute for the coolies to eat. Call him up when you have finished, and let him cut the throats of the slain to make them lawful eating, low down the neck, so as not to spoil the skin for stuffing, and if he objects, tell him he may do without meat. One of the greatest mistakes that all shikaries make in stalking is trying to get too close to the game. It stands to reason, in a country infested by leopards or ounces, that if a beast catches sight of the top of one’s head within five and twenty yards, he will bolt at once, whereas at eighty yards distance he feels at all events safe from a sudden rush, and will stop to gaze.

After the end of June it is practically waste of time trying for ibex. There is grass everywhere, and to escape the gadflies and be out of the way of the flocks of sheep and goats that are driven up into many of the best nullahs in summer, the ibex retire to the highest peaks in the neighbourhood, and rarely descend to ground where there is any chance of getting near them.

XXXVIII.--THE IBEX OF PERSIA AND SINDH (_Capra ægagrus_)

_Native names: ‘Pasang,’ male; ‘Boz,’ female; generally Boz Pasang in Persia (Blanford); Kayeek in Asia Minor (Danford)_

This ibex extends from the Taurus mountains in Asia Minor, through the Caucasus range and Persia, to Afghanistan, Beluchistan and Sindh.

It is a smaller animal than the Himalayan ibex, and does not ascend to the same altitude, preferring, according to Mr. Danford, elevations of 2,000 to 5,000 ft., while 8,000 ft. is about the lowest limit of the Himalayan variety. In Beluchistan and Afghanistan these ibex and _O. Blanfordi_ are found on the same ground, just as _Capra Jerdoni_ and _Ovis cycloceros_ are in the Suleiman range; and this peculiar trait of preferring hot low hills is, in the writer’s estimation, the great point of difference between _Capra ægagrus_, _Capra Jerdoni_ and _Ovis cycloceros_ on the one side, and _Capra sibirica_, _Capra megaceros_ and _Ovis Vignei_ on the other.

The general colour of the buck _Capra ægagrus_ is brown with a dark line down the back, and a black beard, but the last is not so profuse as in _Capra sibirica_. The females are lighter in colour, and have small horns. The horns are quite different from those of any other species of ibex; instead of having a flat front and being thinner behind than in front, as most other ibex horns are, these horns have the edge in front, a scimitar-like ridge running up the front of the horn, wavy but unbroken for about one-third above the head, and then represented by knobs which spring up at some distance apart for about another third, when the ridge appears again, but rapidly dies away towards the point. The sides of the horn too are smooth, the outer side rounded and the inner flat, the knobs not running down the sides as in other ibex.

In Persia and Afghanistan these ibex are generally shot in drives. The members of the Afghan Boundary Commission had a great day with them.

In the Sinaitic Peninsula they are replaced by _Capra sinaitica_ vel _nubiana_, which extends through Egypt. Few people looking at the hills that run down to Suez harbour would imagine that they hold ibex, but such is the case nevertheless. The horns of this type are more like _Capra sibirica_, being quite as long, but thinner and more curved.

The European ibex, _Capra Ibex_ of the Tyrol, has also horns like _Capra sibirica_, and nearly as thick, but shorter. His beard, however, is only rudimentary.

The Spanish ibex, _Capra pyrenaica_, on the other hand, has a peculiar upward twist at the end of the horn that makes it look almost like a markhor. This type is described elsewhere.

_Measurements_

+------------+------+-------+----+------+------+------+---------------+
| Authority |Height|Length,|Tail|Weight|Length|Girth | Remarks |
| |at |head | |as |of |of | |
| |shoul-|and | |shot |horns |horns | |
| |der |body | | | | | |
+------------+------+-------+----+------+------+------+---------------+
| CAPRA SIBIRICA |
| | ins. | ins. |ins.| lbs. | ins. | ins. | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Col. Kinloch|about | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |{‘Large Game |
| | 40 | | | | | |{Shooting’ |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 54 | .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |{‘Sportsman’s |
|Major Ward | 38 | 54 | 8 | 188 | .. | .. |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | 208 | .. | .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | 32 | .. | .. | 104 | .. | .. | ” ” |
| (a female) | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 52 | .. | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. M. }| | | | | | |{Rowland Ward, |
|Kennard }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 51½ | .. |{‘Horn |
| | | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. Blyth, }| | | | | | | |
|‘Proc. Zoo.}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 51¼ | 10½ | ” ” |
|Soc.,’ 1840}| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Sir V. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 51 | 9⅛ | ” ” |
|Brooke }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |{‘Sportsman’s |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | .. | .. | 51 | .. |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 50 | 11 | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 50 | 10 | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
|Capt. J. }| | | | | | |{Rowland Ward, |
|Brickley }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 50 | 9 |{‘Horn |
| | | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Sir E. G. .}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 49¾ | 10⅜ | ” ” |
|Loder, Bart}| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. M. }| | | | | | | |
|Kennard, }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 49½ | 10⅛ | ” ” |
|1887 }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |{‘Sportsman’s |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | .. | .. | 49 | 11 |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. }| | | | | | |{Rowland Ward, |
|Hume }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 48½ | 9⅝ |{‘Horn |
| | | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |{‘Sportsman’s |
|Major Ward | .. | .. | .. | .. | 48 | 12 |{Guide to |
| | | | | | | |{Ladak, &c.’ |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 48 | 10 | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 48 | 10 | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 48 | 10 | ” ” |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. }| | | | | | |{Rowland Ward, |
|Hume }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 47⅞ | 9⅛ |{‘Horn |
| | | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. Rowland}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 47½ | 10¼ | ” ” |
|Ward }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. C. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 47 | 11¾ | ” ” |
|Hagenback }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. M. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 47 | 10½ | ” ” |
|Kennard }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. Manners}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 47 | 10 | ” ” |
|Smith }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Major }| 37½ | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
|Greenaway }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Major }| 31 | 50 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | (A female) |
|FitzHerbert}| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Sterndale, }|about | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
|‘Mammalia’ }| 44 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| Average}| | | | | | | |
| of good}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 40 | 10 | |
| head }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| CAPRA ÆGAGRUS |
|Col. F. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 53 | .. |{Rowland |
| Marston }| | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 52⅜ | 7⅞ | ” ” |
| Hume }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|British }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 48½ | 8½ |{(Skull |
| Museum }| | | | | | |{No. 652 |
| | | | | | | |{Ost. Cat.) |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. Danford | 33½ | 65½ |incl| .. | 47½ | 9¾ |{Sterndale’s |
| | | |uded| | | |{ ‘Mammalia’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Capt. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 45¼ | 9½ |{Rowland |
| Townley }| | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| Parker }| | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|British }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 44½ | 8⅞ | ” ” |
| Museum }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Hume }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 44½ | 8⅝ | ” ” |
|Collection,}| | | | | | | |
|British }| | | | | | | |
|Museum }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. J. Carr}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 43½ | 9 | |
| Saunders }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Mr. A. O. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 43⅜ | 8⅝ |{Rowland |
| Hume }| | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Sir E. G. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 43 | 9 | ” ” |
| Loder, }| | | | | | | |
| Bart. }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|British }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 43 | 9 | ” ” |
| Museum }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| CAPRA IBEX (Tyrol) |
|British }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 43¾,| 10½ | |
| Museum }| | | | | 41¼ | | |
| (skull No.}| | | | | | | |
| 650a Ost. }| | | | | | | |
| Cat.), a }| | | | | | | |
| doubtful }| | | | | | | |
| specimen }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Sir E. G. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 31¾ | 9⅛ |{Rowland |
| Loder, }| | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| Bart. }| | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Senckenberg}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 30¼ | 9 |{(Cord, |
| Museum }| | | | | | |{base to tip, |
| | | | | | | |{21¾ inches) |
| | | | | | | | |
|British }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 27½ | 8¼ | |
| Museum }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Senckenberg}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 24 | 9 |{(Cord, |
| Museum }| | | | | | |{base to tip, |
| | | | | | | |{16½ inches) |
| | | | | | | | |
| CAPRA SINAITICA VEL NUBIANA |
|British }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 51¼ | 7¼ |{(Skull No. |
| Museum }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |{651 Ost. Cat.)|
| | | | | | | | |
| ” | .. | .. | .. | .. | 46 | 8 | |
| | | | | | | | |
|Capt. }| .. | .. | .. | .. | 42¼ | 9¼ |{Rowland |
| Bartelott}| | | | | | |{Ward, ‘Horn |
| | | | | | | |{Measurements’ |
| | | | | | | | |
|Capt. W. H.}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 41¾ | 7⅝ | ” ” |
| Besant }| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| CAPRA WALI |
|Senckenberg}| .. | .. | .. | .. | 24 | 9¾ |{(Cord, |
| Museum }| | | | | | |{base to tip, |
| | | | | | | |{17 inches) |
+------------+------+-------+----+------+------+------+---------------+

Mr. Sclater gives two other varieties of ibex, _Capra caucasica_ and _Capra Wali_. The Senckenberg Museum of Frankfort is believed to possess the only known specimens of this last type. Of it Dr. F. Richters, in charge of the Museum, says: ‘The horns of _Capra Wali_ differ from those of _Capra sibirica_ in the following points: the outer surface in _Capra Wali_ is curved (smooth?), while in _Capra sibirica_ it is corrugated. The under side of _Capra Wali_ is sharper than in _Capra sibirica_. The inner side of _Capra Wali_ has between every two knobs (on the top of the horn) five or six grooves, which correspond with a similar number of notches of equal depth on the under side. _C. sibirica_, on the other hand, has a fairly smooth inner surface, and on the under side has under every two knobs (on the top of the horn) a deep notch, and between every two deep notches a shallower one. The tip of _C. sibirica_ is more curved than that of _C. Wali_. The horn of our specimen of wali has eight knobs on it, that of _C. sibirica_ (horns 36¼ ins. in length, girth at base 9½ ins., cord from base to tip 22 ins.) 17 knobs.’ The specimen came from Abyssinia, and its photograph shows the peculiar knob at the base of the horn on the forehead, its absence of beard, and its small size in comparison to _C. sibirica_, which is photographed with it.

XXXIX. THER (_Capra jemlaica_)

_Gurwhal, ‘Ther,’ female ‘Theri,’ ‘Tahr,’ or ‘Jhula,’ female ‘Tharni’; Chamba and Pangi, ‘Kart’; Cashmere, ‘Jagla’; Khistwar, ‘Kras’; Nepal, ‘Jharál’_

Ther are found at high elevations, where the forest line begins to give way to the snow throughout the southern slopes of the Himalayas, from Cashmere to Bhutan. Its north-west limit appears to be where the Jhelum river separates the Kajnag from the Pir Punjal ranges; though fairly common in the latter, it is apparently unknown in the Kajnag, nor is it found in the ranges to the north of the Cashmere valley; from the Pir Punjal it extends south-eastwards through Kishtwar and Chamba, then leaving Lahoul and Spiti to the north on to the upper waters of the Jumna, Ganges, and Aleknanda rivers, and so by Nepal to Bhutan, being most plentiful perhaps in Chamba and Gurwhal.

An old buck ther is a fine beast in his winter coat; his head is long and lean, the face being nearly black; the ears are small; a long, light-coloured mane sweeps down from his neck, chest and shoulders, reaching below his knees and showing up well against his dark brown back and quarters, his long shaggy coat half hiding his short sturdy legs. The horns are his weak point, and the ground he frequents entails such a lot of climbing and hard work that one is always inclined to think, ‘If I must risk my neck, I would sooner do it after a 50-inch markhor than a 15-inch ther.’

Still, ther shooting is very enjoyable in the spring (in the autumn, when the beasts are in their summer coats, they are hardly better worth killing than bears at the same season), and a few days ther shooting, if it can be indulged in before proceeding after markhor or ibex, is the best possible tonic for one’s nerves. The ground--rocky slopes covered thinly with pines and bushes--always looks more dangerous than it really is. The rock is sound limestone, and does not give way under one’s foot; there is nearly always a friendly bush to hang to, and the very blades of grass are tough. The writer does not go quite so far as to confirm the statement of a merry sportsman--that he and two shikaris all hung on to one blade of grass while crossing a difficult bit; but it is wonderful how much weight that grass will support if only subjected to a steady strain.

There is also generally a variety of game to be shot from the same camp--gooral, kakur, black and brown bears, musk deer, markhor in the Pir Punjal, and burrel may often, according to the district, be combined with ther shooting; besides, there is always the 100 to 1 chance of a serow or leopard, and the writer even once came across a tiger within a walk of ther ground. It had killed a buffalo out of a herd close by, and actually walked through the camp one night, passing within a few feet of the tents.

Though ther are often found in large flocks, the big bucks are generally alone, and these solitary old males are particularly crafty and by no means easy beasts to come to terms with. Colonel Kinloch writes unkindly of the ther in respect of his high flavour; all wild goats smell, and whether it be markhor, ibex or ther, the stink of the last beast bagged always seems more appalling than any that one has experienced before, and is only surpassed by the next one. The ‘bouquet’ of ther and markhor, however, appears to fade after the head has been stuffed, but the scent of the ibex will cling to it still. The writer has some stuffed ibex heads that were obtained six years ago, and their aroma on damp days, though pleasing as a reminiscence of past sport, is hardly suited to the house.

Female ther are smaller than the males, have no mane, insignificant horns, and vary a good deal in colour, some being reddish-brown, others a yellowish-drab. They and the bucks in their summer coats have a conspicuous mark on the back, where the hair of what is the mane in the buck parts from the hair on the back. This is particularly noticeable when looking down on the beast from above.

XL. NEILGHERRY IBEX (_Hemitragus hylocrius_)

_Native Names: ‘Warra-adu,’ ‘Warri-atu’; Tamil (Sterndale) ‘Kárd-ardoo’; Canarese (Sanderson)_

This wild goat is found in the Neilgherry range, and most of the higher hills in the south of India. It is not found in Mysore nor in Ceylon.

The old buck is of a dark sepia colour, with a light, grizzled saddle mark, lower parts paler brown, legs and face dark, and a short stiff mane on the neck and withers; the young bucks and females being lighter in colour. The horns much resemble those of the ther, _Hemitragus jemlaicus_, except that they are more ringed and sheeplike, and do not taper so rapidly. There is much the same difference between them on a small scale as between the horns of _Capra sibirica_ and _Capra ægagrus_, the Neilgherry goat taking after the former and the ther the latter. The two beasts are much about the same size, and have, taking into consideration the different types of forest, much the same habits. In Madras the Neilgherry ibex, being the sole representative of the goat family, has an amount of importance attached to his pursuit which his Himalayan cousin does not enjoy, being crushed by the superior attractions of his mighty relatives the ibex and markhor. They are to be sought for in the same way, watching from above the grassy slopes among the cliffs at an elevation of 5,000 or 6,000 ft., and require the same careful stalking.

XLI. GOORAL (_Nemorhædus Goral_)

_Generally, ‘Gooral’ or ‘Ban bakri’; Chumba, ‘Pij’; Cashmere, ‘Nain,’ ‘Norn’_

This is quite the most sporting of the minor beasts of the chase. It is pretty generally distributed along the whole of the lower slopes of the Himalayas from the Indus river to the Kachin hills in Burmah; horns of both gooral and serow were found by the Phunkan column in 1889. In Cashmere they are scarce, a few only being found in the Kajnag and Pir Punjal ranges, but from Kishtwar to the south-east they are pretty plentiful, especially in Chumba, Gurwhal, the Sewalik range, and the valleys of the Ganges, Jumna, and Tonse rivers. They seem indifferent to heat, and abound among the hot precipitous cliffs formed by the big rivers cutting their way through the hills, the Tonse seeming to suit their requirements admirably. Wherever a landslip has occurred, wherever there is a steep rocky slope covered with long grass and occasional bushes and pines, there gooral are sure to be found. Higher up the hills, up to about 8,000 ft. above the sea level, they are often seen on the short turf at the tops of the ridges or in the pine forests, but rocks they must have close to, and the more precipitous the cliff the more likely it is to hold them.

Wary as gooral are, they will often live close to villages, and do not mind the presence of flocks with their attendant shepherds, or hillmen cutting wood and grass near their haunts. They seem to trust to the steep broken ground they frequent for protection. Gooral, as a rule, are fairly easy animals to get a shot at, but they present by no means a large target, and are very tenacious of life; a wounded one will often tax the best nerves to follow. Gooral seem to become particularly attached to certain localities, and will stand a good deal of bullying and firing at before they leave the ground for good, and as they are to be found within easy reach from many of the hill-stations, they afford pretty shooting to sportsmen who are debarred from hunting better game. Few men go out of their way to hunt gooral, but it is very good fun all the same, and first-class practice both in climbing and shooting.

Buck gooral are generally found alone or with one other companion; if four or five are seen together, they are almost invariably does and young ones. It is nearly impossible to distinguish the sexes at any distance, one rarely gets a fair view of the beast to begin with; the horns are well nigh invisible, except against the skyline, and even if seen are hardly any guide, as both sexes carry them, the buck’s horns being only longer and thicker; and it requires the experience of a Tyrolese keeper, accustomed to chamois, to judge the sex from the shape of a beast half hidden in long grass or bushes. Native shikaris certainly never know.

Walking along a ridge or a hillside you hear a sharp hiss: up jumps a brown beast some fifty yards off, gallops twenty yards, and stands for a second to gaze; you fire, and it rolls down the hill; you climb down congratulating yourself--a clean kill!--a single beast--surely a real good head this time--but when you reach it, too often it is another luckless nanny. In chamois the buck is more heavily built than the doe, is darker in colour, and has a ruff of long black-brown hair along the back, but it takes years of practice to tell an old doe from a buck, especially in winter.

The general colour of gooral is a rich brownish-yellow tipped with sepia, and there is a conspicuous white patch on the throat which is more recognisable in the buck than in the doe, and is really, if it can be seen, the best guide in distinguishing the sexes. General Macintyre mentions an albino gooral.

Though gooral seem fond of heat, they do not like being out in the sun, and this fact is a decided convenience to the sportsmen, the shady side of the hill being both pleasanter and more profitable to work over.