heavy, flat horns, twisted like a
corkscrew.

No. 2.--Trans-Indus markhor; perfectly straight horns, with a spiral
flange or ridge running up them.

No. 3.--Hazarah markhor; a slight corkscrew, as well as a twist.

No. 4.--Astor and Baltistan markhor; large, flat horns, branching
out very widely, and then going up nearly straight with only a half
turn.

Of the two kinds I have seen, the one has the broad flat horn twisted
like a corkscrew; the other a perfectly straight core, with the worm
of a screw turned round it. Nothing could be more dissimilar than
these horns, yet, in other respects the animal being the same, it
has not been considered necessary to separate the two as distinct
species.[37]

[Footnote 37: Colonel Kinloch writes on my remarks as above, and
gives the following interesting information: "I cannot consider the
spiral-horned and the straight-horned markhor to be one species, any
more than the Himalayan and Sindh ibex. The animals differ much in
size, habits, and coat, as well as in the shape of their horns. Mr.
Sterndale considers that the markhor is probably the origin of some
of our breeds of domestic goats, and states that he has seen tame
goats with horns quite of the markhor type. Has he ever observed that
(as far as my experience goes) the horns of domestic goats invariably
twist the _reverse way_ to those of markhor? I have observed that
the horns of not only markhor, but also antelope, always twist one
way; those of domestic goats the other."]

SIZE.--Height, about 46 inches.

There is a life-like photograph of No. 1 variety in Kinloch's 'Large
Game of Thibet,' and of No. 3 a very fine coloured plate in Wolf's
folio of 'Zoological Sketches.'

[Illustration: _Capra megaceros_. No. 1 variety.]

[Illustration: _Capra megaceros_. No. 2 variety.]

The markhor frequents steep and rocky ground above the forests in
summer, but descending in the winter. I cannot do better than quote
Kinloch, who gives the following graphic little description: "The
markhor inhabits the most precipitous and difficult ground, where
nearly perpendicular faces of rock alternate with steep grassy
slopes and patches of forest. It is very shy and secluded in its
habits, remaining concealed in the densest thickets during the
day-time, and only coming out to feed in the mornings and evenings.
No animal's pursuit leads the sportsman over such dangerous ground
as that of the markhor. Living so much in the forest, it mu