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Show 598 MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON THE INDIAN GAUR. [Nov. 4, the important testimony of so good and trustworthy an observer as Mr. S. E. Peall. There are two facts that should be borne in mind in any endeavour to disentangle the somewhat complicated history oi Bos frontalis. 1. The names of animals used by various nations and tribes are just as carelessly and loosely applied as English terms are employed by English-speaking people. In America the English term selected for the Bison is tbe name of that particular bovine to which perhaps the Bison is least related and which it least resembles-the Buffalo -whilst in India the common English name for Bos gaurus is Bison. It is not therefore surprising that terms like Gaur and Gayal are interchangeable. In fact, in a number of Indian languages, the name applied to Bos gaurus means wild buffalo 2. I have myself heard the name Gayal used for Bos gaurus in Orissa, where Bos frontalis is unknown. Probably the same name Gayal is used by such inhabitants of Tipperah, Chittagong, &c. as speak Hindi or Bengali (foreign languages to the majority) indifferently for Bos gaurus and Bos frontalis. Mr. Peal states that in Upper Assam both are known as Mithan. It is easy to understand the confusion that may thus have been caused to naturalists of a generation or two back, who appear, judging by their writings, to have regarded such names as restricted to particular species. 2. Blyth has given at length 3 some very curious evidence obtained by him, which, if correct, certainly appears to show that Bos gaurus itself is domesticated by some of the hill-tribes in the Tippera hills. If this were substantiated, it might account for the descriptions by Mr. Macrae of the taming of wild ' Gayals ' by the Kukis, the Gayals in question being Bos gaurus. As I have already stated, Mr. Macrae's story has a distinct appearance of truth. I think it. highly probable that Mr. Sarbo is right in his opinion that Bos frontalis does not exist wild south of Assam. It is true that we know very little of the great hill-area south of Manipur between the Kyendwen river and its tributaries to the east and Tipperah, Chittagong, Arrakan, & c , to the west. But it is scarcely probable that three wild forms so nearly allied as Bos gaurus, Bos frontalis, and Bos sondaicus should be found living wild in the same area. It is far from improbable that B. sondaicus is the representative in comparatively level country of the hill-loving Bos gaurus, and that the two do not actually inhabit the same tract, but both Bos gaurus and Bos frontalis are distinctly inhabitants of hill-forests and are spendid climbers4. It is more probable that these 1 Nature, Nov. 5th, 1885, vol. xxxiii. p. 7. 2 liau-hila,Ran-pada in Mahratti and Guzaratti, and Jangli Khillgd as quoted by Jerdon. I have even heard the name Arna, the correct appellation of a wild buffalo, applied to Bos gaurus. 3 J. A. S. B. xxix. p. 294 ; see also Cat. M a m m . Mus. As. Soc. p. 162, Gavceus gaurus, specimen D. 4 To the powers of Bos gaurus in this respect I can speak from personal observation. I have seen them go at speed down slopes where I could only follow by holding on to the bamboos and shrubs, and all observers have re- |
