The Living Animals of the World, Volume I: Mammals

Photo by G. W. Wilson & Co., Ltd.] [Aberdeen.

MANCHURIAN WAPITI CALLING.

The great size of the fourth tine, characteristic of the species, is very noticeable. 36

of the World282 The Living Animals

distance it is one of the most musical sounds in nature, sounding like some beautiful wind instrument. Nothing makes the heart of a hunter leap and thrill like the challenge of a wapiti bull, as it comes pealing down under the great archways of the mountain pines, through the still, frosty, fall weather; all the more if it be at night, under the full moon, and if there is light snow on the ground." it is now difficult Wapiti in North America have suffered much from persecution, and indeed to secure fine heads like those that fell to hunters twenty or thirty years since. Twelve or fifteen years ago, during winter-time, bands of wapiti in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana ; now a score or two is the rule,were to be seen gathered together to the number of thousands for theirwhere these animals are to be found at all. However, by those who know where to go game, and can hold a rifle straight, wapiti are still to be obtained.

: Mr. Selous, in his " Sport and Travel, East and West," thus describes a recent experience "After a few seconds of agonising suspense a noble-looking monarch of the mountains walked slowly from the shelter of the pine-trees and followed the ladies of his household, who had now halted about fifty yards down the slope, passing in quite open ground not more than sixty or seventy yards below me; and as the stag followed them, I waited until he came past, though he had been well within shot ever since he came out from among the trees. As he did not know where I was, and probably had not the least idea why the hinds had trotted off, he came along very leisurely, looking magnificent; for although his antlers were but moderate in size, there were no others of larger proportions near to dwarf them, and even a very ordinary wapiti stag, seen at short range in its native wilds, is a glorious sight to look upon. I let him get a little past me, and then put one of Holland's peg-bullets just behind his shoulder, low down. I saw by the convulsive rush forwards that he made that he was struck through the heart, but I did not expect so large an animal to collapse so quickly. He had not gone fell suddenly right on to the prostrate stem of a largetwenty paces after being hit, when he tree, which did not, however, stop him, as the impetus of his fall carried him over it, and he then went sliding at a terrific pace down the steep snow-slope below, and disappeared from sight almost immediately." The dead wapiti was ultimately found 500 feet below, with the antlers, strangely enough, scarcely injured, but the body and quarters much bruised by the fall. He was "a very pretty fourteen-pointer of moderate size." A fight between two wapiti stags is a terrific encounter. " With heads lowered between their fore feet," says Mr. Perry, "the two adversaries walk around, waiting for an opening; and when one is thrown off his guard, the other makes a savage rush; but his opponent instantly recovers, counters the charge, and as they rush together the antlers strike each other with such terrific force that the report can be heard for a long distance. Slowly retreating, bellowing,

Photo by C. Reid] [ Witiwm, ff.f. grumbling, and grinding their of rage, AN AXIS HIXD. teeth in a paroxysm

... A species spotted at all seasons. they again circle round.

By permission of the Neio York Zoological Society.

A STAG AXIS, OR INDIAN SPOTTED DEER.

One of the most common animals in an Indian jungle scene. 283

of the World 284 The Living Animals

The challenging wapiti usually does most of the offensive fighting until he finds (if such be the case) that he is the weaker; then he suddenly retires, bellowing as he goes." In the old days the Indians of North America were in the habit of organising great wapiti drives. Entire herds were surrounded by a ring of mounted men, and forced over precipices.

In recent years it has been discovered that wapiti are also denizens of certain parts of Asia. At least two sub-species the ALTAI WAPITI and the MANCHURIAN WAPITI have thus far been identified. The former, sometimes known as the Thian-shan Stag, is found in the forests of the Altai and Thian-shan Mountains, west of the Mongolian Desert. Compared with its American congener, it is inferior in stature, has shorter legs, a longer body, and proportionately larger antlers, though none have yet approached those of the longest American specimens. These splendid stags, of which living specimens have been maintained by the Duke of Bedford at Woburn, are captured alive by the Altai natives, and kept in domestication for the sake of their antlers, which are sold in China for purposes of medicine at as much as the value of 10 apiece. The MANCHURIAN WAPITI, or LUEH- DORF'S STAG, is a well-marked local race of the wapiti, which turns reddish in

By ptrmuiion of Professor Bumpus] [New York. summer. It has received several names, A SPOTTED ORIENTAL DEEE. and is well characterised by the form One of the numerous Philippine species. of its antlers. It has been kept alive in the Duke of Bedford's park at Woburn Abbey. It seems probable that the Siberian stags will eventually be referred to the wapiti group.

BOKHARA DEER.

A fine deer from Kussian Turkestan is at present known as the BOKHARA DEER. It is said to resemble the shou of Northern Bhutan more than any other species, and, standing about 4 feet at the shoulder, is of an ashen-grey colour, tinged with yellow. A living specimen has been exhibited at Moscow, and it is believed that specimens in the collection of the Duke of Bedford belong to this form.

SIKAS. of moderate size, The SIKAS, as typified by the JAPANESE DEER, are a group of deer distinguished from the preceding assemblage by antlers of simpler type, each antler having usually four points, and lacking the second, or bez, tine. The coat is spotted with white, and white markings appear about the tail. The tail is much longer than in the red deer group. The Japanese deer, found in Japan and North China, is a beautiful creature, somewhat smaller than the fallow deer of Europe, having a coat of brilliant chestnut, thickly spotted with white in curious longitudinal markings. This is the summer pelage; in winter the colour changes to dark brown, and the spots mostly disappear. When in the velvet, the antlers are of a bright chestnut-red, with black tips, and at this season the bucks look their handsomest. A good head measures from 25 to 31 inches, and carries usually eight points.

The MANCHURIAN SIKA may be looked upon as a larger variety of the Japanese deer, with a somewhat darker coat.

The Deer Tribe 285

Another closely allied form is the FORMOSAN SIKA, which bears a rather paler summer coat, and carries spots in its winter pelage. This deer is found on the mountains of the island from which it takes its name. The few antlers which have reached this country seem to indicate that in this respect this deer is inferior to the other sikas. The longest pair yet recorded measure not more than 19| inches. is considerably larger in size than The PEKIN SIKA, sometimes known as Dybowski's Deer, the rest of the group, standing well over 3 feet at the shoulder. The horns are large and is thick and shaggy, and wellrugged, and measure as much as 27 inches in length. The coat adapted for life in a harsh climate. The habitat of this species is North-eastern Manchuria and the borders of Korea.

FALLOW DEER.

all the cervine race, FALLOW DEER are, perhaps, to English people, the most familiar of forming as they do, in the semi-domesticated state, the adornments of most of our parks. The flesh of this handsome deer furnishes the well-known venison of this country, and is perhaps feet at the shoulder, andthe best-tasted of all deer-meat. A good fallow buck stands about 3 weighs (clean) about 150 Ibs., though specimens have been shot weighing as much as 204 Ibs.,

Photo by C. Reid] [ Wishaw, N.B.

A YOUNG FALLOW BUCK OP THE BROWN BREED.

The favourite park-deer of England.

but this is exceptional. The horns are strongly palrnated. Originally this deer was not indigenous to Britain, but is often said to have been introduced by the Romans from Eastern Europe. The COMMON FALLOW DEER is found in the wild state in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Rhodes, Sardinia, Asia Minor, and North Palestine. It is doubtful whether, as has been stated, this deer ever existed in modern times in the wild state in North Africa. This is a highly gregarious species, delighting to move in considerable herds. In some parts of Scotland fallow deer have reverted completely to the wild state, and afford excellent sport. And even park-

ee ~ deer, once they are shot at,

| : exhibit extraordinary wariness

and cunning, so much so that curious tricks and disguises have often to be resorted to

| when a fat buck has to be | shot for venison.

The beautiful MEsopo- TAMIAN Fattow Derr, found in the mountains of Luristan, in Mesopotamian Persia, is somewhat larger than the common species, while its coat is much more brightly coloured. The antlers bear little resemblance to those seen in the park-deer of this country, being far less palmated and spreading, and more vertical. The enormous horns of the extinct deer once known as Irish ELK are now considered by naturalists to be those of a gigantic species of fallow deer. By the kindness of Mr. J. G. Millais, I am enabled to give the dimensions of a pair of antlers of one of these wonderful beasts from his museum. These antlers measure in spread, from tip to tip, 9 feet 4 inches; length round inside of right horn, 6 feet; round A SAMBAR STAG. left horn, 5 feet 8 inches,— The only Indian deer of which the fawns are unspotted. » a marvellous trophy, truly. This specimen was dug up in County Waterford. These colossal fallow deer, which roamed the wastes of Ireland in prehistoric times, must have afforded fairly exciting sport to the feebly armed human beings who then existed. Photo by Miss E. J. Beck. Tue Sampar, OR RusInE DEER. SaMBak may be shortly described as large deer, having rough, shaggy coats, and big. rugged antlers of simple type, usually displaying but three tines. They belong to the grouy: known as Typical Deer, although they are but distantly connected with the red deer. The colour of the coat is usually dark umber-brown, marked with chestnut about the rump and under-parts. The well-known sambar of India stands as much as 5 feet 4 inches at the withers, and weighs, before being cleaned, some 600 Ibs. The longest pair of antlers yet recorded (Rowland Ward's “Records of Big Game”) measure 48 inches in length over the outer curve. Usually to be found among jungly, wooded hills and mountains in many parts of India and Ceylon, this fine stag affords first-rate sport, and is much sought after by shikaris. It is to be met with in small