

i895- MAMMALS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 163 



to dread it. The Aborigines, known as Sakais, sometimes hunt it. 

 There was recently living a man who used to follow up a herd and, 

 selecting an animal with good tusks, creep quietly up ; when near 

 enough he would drive a large-bladed spear between the hind legs 

 into the abdomen, which wound was soon after fatal, and tracking the 

 animal, he would secure the ivory. 



The black Wild Goat (Nemorhcedus sumatranus) inhabits the 

 isolated patches of limestone rocks which flank at intervals the main 

 granite chain of the Peninsula. Though apparently not rare in these 

 places, it has never been shot by any sportsman, and the only speci- 

 mens I have seen are skeletons and a head in the Perak Museum. 



The natives often affirm that there are two distinct species of Wild 

 Ox in the Peninsula, viz., the Sapi and the Seladang; but I have never 

 been able to find out what the former is. It is stated to be quite a 

 different animal, with longer horns than the Seladang (Bos gaums). 

 The latter is probably the biggest and most powerful ox now living, 

 though even it is inferior in size to the old British ox, B. primigenius. 

 The Seladang usually inhabits the denser hill-jungles, where its tracks 

 may often be seen ; but it is also abundant in more open, grassy 

 spots, such as the banks of the Pahang river. It lives chiefly on 

 leaves of trees, but also eats fruit. 



There are two or three species of Mouse-deer in the Peninsula, of 

 which the commonest is the Napu (Tragulus napu). It is as big as a 

 hare, and generally inhabits the thicker woods. It can swim well, 

 and I have seen it crossing a small stream, swimming very low in the 

 water. The call is a low bark, like that of a fallow-deer, though by no 

 means as loud ; but they often call to each other by beating their 

 feet upon the ground. This is taken advantage of by the natives in 

 shooting them, in the following way. A hunter, placing a dry leaf on 

 the ground in the wood where mouse-deer are supposed to be, taps it 

 with a stick, thus — Tap : tap-tap-tap : Tap : tap-tap-tap : Tap, now 

 and then making a rapid succession of taps like the roll of a drum. 

 Presently the Napu answers by stamping its feet in the same manner, 

 and the tapping is continued. The animal comes nearer and 

 nearer, answering as it comes, till it comes within range of the gun. 

 Sometimes, it is said, a tiger, thinking that the tapping is really 

 that of a Mouse-deer, comes up instead. The Napu is also caught 

 by springes. A small palisade of sticks about a foot high is made 

 across a wood, and at intervals passages are made in the wall big 

 enough to admit the animal. In these is set the springe, made by 

 bending down a small slender shrub, with a noose held in position by 

 a small stick, and the noose is covered by a leaf. The Mouse-deer, on 

 meeting with the palisade, does not jump over it, as it could easily 

 do, being very active at leaping, but goes along it till it can find a 

 passage through, and putting its foot in the noose is immediately 

 caught. It is sold in the markets for food. 



In captivity the Mouse-deer require plenty of room to run about 



n 2 



