reaching to within about 5 inches of the hocks, In females the hair
shorter. H orns of adult males generally similar in form and curvature
to those of the bharal (infra, p. 232), but with a distinct keel in the middle
of the front surface at the base, and with the tips directed inwards, or
inwards and downwards, without any upward tendency ; in young
specimens the whole horn is marked with prominent sinuous transverse
wrinkles, which are often retained at the tips of adult specimens ; these
wrinkles are wanting in young horns of thcTbharal, although adult horns
of both species show the same sinuous lines of growth. Horns of females
only slightly smaller than those of males. General colour of head, upper-
parts, outer surface of limbs, and tail uniform rufous tawny, becoming
rather darker on the mane ; ears, chin, middle of under-parts and inner
surfaces of limbs whitish ; a few dark bars on the long hair of the throat.
Horns yellowish-brown, becoming darker in old animals.
The plate is drawn from an adult mounted male in the British
Museum presented by Sir E. G. ~Loder. This specimen exhibits the
average amount of long hair developed on the fbre-quarters in the wild
state. Menagerie specimens show a much greater profusion of hair. In
the characters of the skull and horns the arui is almost as much aHoat as
is the bharal, although the retention of the transverse wrinklings in the
horns for a considerable portion of life is an ovine' character. The length
of the tail is a feature unknown in the goats, and at first sight might seem
to affiliate the species with the domesticated breeds of sheep ; from which
the arui is, however, widely separated by the absence of face-glands -and
the form and structure of the horns. In the large size of the horns in
the female the species is unlike any other sheep or goat. As regards the
elongated hair on the fore-quarters, the present animal comes nearer to
the markhor than to any other member of the group, although lacking
the long beard growing on the chin of that: species. In respect to
coloration the arui is nearest to the West Caucasian tur among the
goats, whereas in the same feature the bharal approximates to the Persian
wild goat.
By the Arabs the present species is termed either arui, udad, or fechstal.
The following measurements of arui horns are recorded in Mr. Rowland
Ward’s book :—“
Length along
'.Outer Curve,
Basal
Circumference. Tip to Tip. - Locality.
28J 1 4 t 8 f A l g e r i a
. 2 :8 J ■ I 8 i „
2 7 4 " 1 . r , ,
26f i o 4 : H i N o r t h A f r i c a
m S M 11 H § f - „
2 5 a H i A l g e r i a
2 5 i . B H i N o r t h A f r i c a
25 ; 1 4 H i 1 „
2 4 | 1 4 J 9 i „
m m ;i:; f i f ?
i ? i
' j SS m I A t la s
19# ' . . ' v H i „
i 9 i 9 i : 6 f D j o b e l M a t li l i
m l \ H i N o r t h A f r i c a
H f 9 i 1 H i A t la s
17 7 i ?
In this list the last and antepenultimate specimens are those of
females.
Distribution.—The mountainigpf North Africa, from near the Atlantic
seaboard to Egypt.r In the Atlas confined to the arid southern slopes,
within sight of the desert, and unknown in the interior o f the range in the
neighbourhood of the coast.
Habits.—The uniform tawny coloration of the arui is of itself sufficient
to prcpaim that the animal is an inhabitant of comparatively bare sandy or
rocky districts ; and this we find confirmed by the accounts of those who
have seen it in its native haunts. Among recent observers, Mr. E. N.