83. Portax Tragocamelus (Antipope pieta, Pallas), the Nil-Chau or Nyl-Clhau, ono of the largest and most magnificent Antelopes known, being upwards of 4 feet high at the shoulder, inhabits various parts of India, whence it has often been brought to England, where it lives and breeds, and is not an uncommon animaL The face of this species is long and narrow ; the muzzle large and naked ; the horns about inches long, small, round, and black, rather distant at the base, nearly parallel throughout their whole length, pointed and slightly curved forwards; they are perfectly smooth and without annuli, but rather triangular at the base, and gradually rounded and attenuated towards the points. The lachrymal sinuses are largo ; the cars 7 inches in length, broad and rounded like those of an ox ; the neck deep and compressed like that of the horse, not round and cylindrical as in the Stag and most other Antelopes ; and the tail broad, equally covered with hair on the sides and at the root, but terminated by a long black tuft, and descending to the boughs. The legs are small and well formed, the anterior rather longer than the posterior; and the spiuons processes of the dorsal vertebra; so much elevated between the shoulders as to give the animal the appearance of having a small hump. When at rest, the feet are gathered close under the body, and the tail turned in between the hind legs The hair is uniformly short and close upon every part of the head, body, and limbs, excepting along the top of the neck and on the shoulders, where it is long, stitl; and upright, forming it thin erect mane which extends from between the ears half-way down the back, and on the middle of the throat, where there is a species of beard composed of stiff bristly hair. The general colour is a uniform slaty-blue on the upper parts in the male, and tawny-red in the female ; on the under parts uniform white in both sexes. The limbs and face are almost brown, and the lips, chin, and under surface of the tail, white. There is a large white spot on the throat, and two smaller ones on the cheeks under the lachrymal sinuses ; the pastern joints are marked in front with one spot, and in rear with two conspicuous spats of the same colour, which strongly with the dark brown of the surrounding parts, arm' have suggested the. specific 11:1111C of Antilope pieta which was given by
Pallas to this animal.
The Nyl-Ghau resides in the dense forests of India, whence it occa sionally makes excursions very early in the morning or during the night, to feed upon the corn-fields of the natives which happen to be situated' in the vicinity of the jungle. It is a vicious animal, of very uncertain temper, and as it is both powerful and resolute, and fre quently turns upon its pursuers, it is seldom made an object of chase except by the native princes, who employ elephants for this purpose, or inclose the game in nets. The usual method which the shikarrees, or professional hunters, employ for its capture is to shoot it from an elevated platform when it comes out at night or early in the morning to feed on the confines of the jungle ; this being likewise their mode of destroying tigers, wild boars, and other beasts which they dare not attack openly. Even in confinement, and when domesticated from birth, the violent and changeable temper of the eanmd be trusted. Previous to making an attack, it drops upon the fore knees, advancing in this position till within a proper distance, then darting suddenly forwards with the velocity of an arrow, and with a force which no ordinary Endive' can withstand. Yet, notwithstanding its vigour and resolution, it is the most common prey of the tiger, which the shikarrees often destroy in the very act of devouring the mangled remains of this animal ; for, when these are discovered, the hunters always erect their platforms in a convenient situation in the neighbourhood of the carcass, knowing by experience that the tiger is sure to return on the following night to glut himself at leisure with the produce of his previous chase. The Nyl-Ghau has often bred in confinement, both in this country and in India. The period of gesta tion lasts eight months, and two young are most commonly pro duced at a birth. At first the young males are of the same reddish brown colour as the females, and only assume the grayish-blue shade proper to their sex on arriving at maturity : their growth is however, rapid, and they attain their adult size in the second or third year of their age.