The Living Animals of the World, Volume I: Mammals

The Deer Tribe 287

troops of from four to a dozen, or singly, while during the rutting-season the animab rove in more considerable herds. In jungle it is a hard and thickly forested regions matter to come up with the sambar on foot, and it is there usually shot from elephant-back, by the aid of beaters. In more open hill country it affords good stalking, hi Ceylon it is hunted with hounds, and yields in this way also capital sport. These animals seem to revel in heat, and love to shelter themselves in hot, stifling valleys; they drink only once in two or three days. Lt is a noticeable feature in connection with the antlers of the sambar that they are not invariably shed annually, as with most of the deer kind. In Ceylon, according to Sir Samuel Baker, they are shed "with great irregularity every third or fourth year." Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Heber Percy thus Writes concerning the sambar, or sambur: " Compared with the Kashmir stag, red deer, or wapiti, he looks an ugly,

Photo by Miss E. J. Beck.

FORMOSAN SIKA STAG.

Like its Japanese kindred, this deer is spotted only in summer.

coarse, underbred brute.... As the sambur is almost entirely nocturnal in its habits, it is most commonly shot in drives, and in many places it is almost impossible to obtain sambur otherwise; but where it can be managed, stalking is, of course, far better fun. The sportsman should be on his ground just before daylight, and work slowly through the forest at the edge of the feeding-grounds, taking the bottom of the hill if there are crops on the plain below, or, failing these, the edges of the open glades in the forest. Presently, if there are any sambur about, he will hear their trumpet-like call, and, creeping on, see two or three dark forms moving among the trees. In the grey of the morning it is often very hard to distinguish a stag from a hind, and the writer has on several occasions had to wait, after viewing the herd, till there was light enough to it is pick his stag. Even in broad daylight difficult to judge the size of a stag's horns Photo by the Duchess of Bedford] [ Woburn Abbey. JAVAN RUSA STAG. as he stands motionless in the deep gloom This deer is a near relative of the sambar, but has a somewhat different of the forest, and what little can be seen type of antler.

of the World288 The Living Animals

of them makes them look three times their real size the beam is so massive and the tines so long. The stag, too, is such a big beast, standing nearly a hand taller than a barasingh, that if seen in the open ... All he looks as big as our Irish elk. driving should be done during the heat of the day, when the animals are lying down; trying to drive when beasts are naturally on the move generally results in the game leaving the beat before the men are in their places. It may sound tree in ridiculous for a man to get up a a sambur drive, but he is far more likely to get an easy shot in this position, as the deer will neither see nor wind him; he commands more ground, and he runs no risk of heading back the wary old hind which often leads the herd, the chances being that if he is rightly posted the herd will come right under his tree. Another advantage is that, his fire being plunging, he can shoot all round without danger to the beaters. In some parts of the Himalaya native shikaris declare that

Plwto by the Duchess of MetJj'ord] [ Woburn Abbey. they often shoot sambur by selecting a HOG-DEER. likely path and improvising a salt-lick,

The smallest Indian representative of the samhar group. after the fashion of Laplanders when they want to catch their tame reindeer." The flesh of this deer is coarse and only moderately good eating.

The MALAYAN SAMBAR, found from Assam, through Burma, to the Malay Peninsula, and in Siam, Hainan, Borneo, and perhaps Sumatra, is slightly less in size than its Indian prototype; the antlers vary somewhat, and are shorter and stouter. The longest antlers yet recorded measure 30f inches over the outer curve; these come from Borneo.

The FORMOSAN SAMBAR, sometimes called Swinhoe's Deer, is, again, closely connected with the Malayan sambar, and may be looked upon as purely a local race. The antlers appear to run smaller, the best recorded examples only extending to 19| inches.

The LUZON SAMBAR (Philippines), a small sub-species, and the SZECHUAN SAMBAR (Northwest China), are also local races of the same species. This last seems thus far to occupy the most northerly habitat of this group.

The BASILAN SAMBAR (Philippines) is, like its congener of Luzon, a small sub-species, standing no more than from 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder, of slender build, and with the hindquarters higher than the withers. The best antlers yet recorded measure no more than 15| inches. It is interesting to note that as the island of Basilan is the smallest of the Philippines, so is this sambar by far the smallest of its group. Its restricted habitat has no doubt conduced, during long ages, to bring about this result.

The JAVAN SAMBAR, or KUSA, is a distinct species, found, as its name implies, in the island of Java. The antlers are somewhat slender, but are, next to those of the sambar of India, the longest of the group. The best recorded pair measure 35 inches, while another pair from Mauritius, where this animal has been introduced, measure half an inch longer. This sambar is smaller than the great sambar of India, and is about on a par with a good red deer. is found in The MOLUCCAN RUSA, a sub-species somewhat smaller than the Javan deer,

Photo by The Duchexs of Hertford, Woburn Abbey.

FALLOW DEER.

There are two breeds of these beautiful deer in the British Isles; in the one the summer coat is fawn * dappled with white; in the other the colour is dark brown at all seasons.

UNIV. OF

CALIFORNIA

The Deer Tribe 289 Celebes and certain islands Boru, Batchian, and Amboina in the Moluccan group; while the TIMOR EUSA, a closely allied congener, is found on the islands of Timor, Semao, and Kambing. It is possible nay, even probable that the Malays may, in times gone by, have introduced certain of these rusine deer from one habitat to another. Such, at least, seems to be the presumption among naturalists.

Dr. Guillemard, in that charming book " The Cruise of the Marchesa " (p. 357), gives some interesting information concerning Moluccan sambar in the little-known island of Batchian. The inhabitants, " living for the most part in the hills, kill and smoke the deer, and bring the to assist at one of their hunts, inmeat into the villages for sale. We were fortunate enough which no other weapon than the spear is used. The side of a large ravine, which had been partially cleared, and presented a confused jumble of fallen trees and low brushwood, was assigned to us as our post, and, from the extensive view it commanded, we were able later in the day to watch one run almost from start to finish, although at first the sport appeared to be successful in every direction but our own. At length a stag broke covert about five hundred yards above us, and descended the slopes of the ravine, but shortly afterwards turned and made for the forest again. He was met by some of the hunters and driven back; but the dogs were now in full cry, and pressed him hard, the hunters meanwhile racing at their utmosl speed above, in order to prevent his regaining the jungle. He now altered his direction, and turned down once more towards us; but the fallen trees were so thick that the dogs gained it was too late, andrapidly on him. He made one more effort for his life by doubling, but in another minute the dogs and hunters had fairly run him down."

Deer were probably the earliest animals of the chase. Their bones are found in the cave-dwellings of prehistoric man, and some of the earliest efforts at drawing represent these animals.

tnoto by the Duchess of Bedford] [ Woburn Abbey.

YOUNG MALE SWAMP-DEER.

This species is the Barasingh of the natives of India. It is by no means addicted to swampy localities. 37

Animals of the World290

OTHER TYPICAL DEER.

So numerous are the typical deer that they are not concluded even by the long list of animals already enumerated. We proceed now to glance briefly at the remainder of this important group.

The PHILIPPINE SPOTTED DEER, or PRINCE ALFRED'S

DEER, is a small but extremely handsome species, found is under in the islands of Samar and Leyte. The height 30 inches; the colour very dark brown, spotted with white, the under-parts, chin, and upper portion of the legs also white. is Another small cervine from the Philippine group the CALAMIANES DEER, a darkish brown beast, found in the island of that name. The little BAVIAN DEER, another island-deer, from the Bavian group, between Borneo and Java, should also be mentioned. Very little is known of the habits of these three deer, and few specimens even of their skins and horns have reached Europe. The HOG-DEER, allied to the last-named species, is an animal much better known, found as it is in many Photo by Tort Son] [Netting Hill. parts of India and Burma. This handsome little deer INDIAN MUNTJAC. stands from 24 to 28 inches at the shoulder, and carries Sometimes called the Barking-deer. The Indian species antlers which average from 10 to 15 inches, and reach stands only 2 feet high. occasionally as much as 21 or 22 inches one specimen is recorded measuring 23^ inches. It has a yellowish or reddish-brown coat, minutely speckled with white. The summer coat is paler and marked with white or palish-brown spots. This sturdy little cleer is found usually in long grass, and affords excellent snap-shooting; it is also run into with dogs and speared by mounted sportsmen. Major Fitz- Herbert thus describes a chase of this kind: " He [the little stag] stood at bay, with head down and bristles raised like a miniature red deer of Landseer's, but broke away when I came up. Once he charged the bitch and knocked her over. He stood at bay two or three times?:butf I could never get a spear into him for fear of hurting the dogs. At last one time, as he was breaking bay, I came up, and he charged me with such force as to break one of his horns clean off against the spear. However, I struck him in the spine, and rolled him over." These little deer have quite extraordinary pluck, and have been known even to charge and wound a horse. The CHITAL, or INDIAN SPOTTED DEER, often called the Axis Deer, a very beautiful species, is the common jungle-stag of India. Standing about 3 feet or a little over, its lovely coat of bright reddish fawn is thickly spotted with white at all seasons of the year. The horns are somewhat of the sambar type, and measure as much Photo by the Duchess of Bedford, Woburn Abbey. as 36 or 38 inches in length in fine specimens. These YOUNG MALE CHINESE WATER-DEER. exquisite deer are often found in considerable herds, and One of the few deer which have no antlers. are a forest-loving species.