Nyl-ghau (Portax tragocamelus), a species of antelope, with somewhat ox-like head and body, but with long slender limbs, and of great activity and fleetness. It is one of the largest of antelopes, and is more than four feet high at the shoulder. The horns of the male are about as long as the ears, smooth, black, pointed, slightly curved forwards. The female has no horns. The neck is deep and compressed, not rounded as in most of the antelopes. A slight mane runs along the neck and part of the back, and the breast is adorned with a long hanging tuft of hair. The back is almost elevated into a hump between the shoulders. The nyl-ghau inhabits the dense forests of India and Persia, where it has long been regarded as one of the noblest kinds of game. The name is Persian, and signifies 'blue ox.' It is often taken, like other large animals, by the enclosing of a large space with nets, and by great numbers of people. It is a spirited animal, and dangerous to a rash assailant. It is capable of domestication, but it is said to manifest an irritable and capricious temper.