252 JOURNA L, BO MBA Y NA TURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV III. 



years back ; so I must ask for information from more competent 

 observers. I believe the idea that sambar drink only once in three 

 days was first given expression to in Sterndale's Natural History. J 

 recollect being in camp near a pool of water in the Melghat Forest in 

 the hot weather of 1890, when sambar came daily to drink. They 

 drank also at night. But it is impossible to say whether the same 

 animals visited the water each day or night. 



The nilgai or blue bull, I can say definitely, drinks daily in the 

 Deccan and in the cold weather. In the cold season of 1899-1900, 

 I encamped on two occasions close to a village in the vicinity of 

 which there were very few of these animals. There were, in fact, 

 one herd and one solitary blue bull, and no more, for I knew the 

 country well. The season was one of drought, all the water in the 

 jungle being dried up, and the only water obtainable was in irriga- 

 tion channels and troughs near the village, to which these and 

 many other animals used to resort nightly. This was proved by 

 their tracks. No doubt they drank at night owing to the proximity 

 of the water-supply to human habitations. In the hot weather I 

 have seen a herd of nilgai pass my camp on their way to drink on 

 two successive days in the heat of the day. 



When we come to the black buck, we are on more certain ground. 

 There can surely be no difference of opinion " whether they ever 

 drink." In the Deccan, at any rate, the black buck is addicted to 

 drink. I have seen herds of the animals trooping down to the 

 water to drink, and I have in my possession a photograph, taken 

 in Rajputana, showing a herd at water, some of them in the act of 

 drinking. I raised this question in the columns of the Asian some 

 seven years ago, and wrote with reference to the Chilka Lake herd 

 referred to by Mr. Lydekker — " More information is required with 

 regard to this herd. Are there not troughs or irrigation channels 

 from which the animals can obtain water?" 



My query brought forth a reply from a gentleman who wrote, 

 under the pseudonymn of " The Judge":—" As to the special tract 

 from which I write, they have an ample supply of fresh water when- 

 ever there is rain about, that is from early April, when showers fall 

 in these parts, up to November, when they cease. I visited this 

 morning the south-eastern shores of the Chilka Lake, and on the 



