206 THE WAPITI OF KANSU 



to the wapiti type, having the three terminal tines 

 nearly in a plane parallel to the long axis of the 

 skull, although the fourth tine is relatively smaller 

 than in typical wapiti ; indeed, so wapiti-like are 

 the antlers that JMr. Wallace calls the Kansu deer 

 a wapiti and has given a figure of the head in the 

 Field of August 17th last. Hitherto nothing has 

 been known with regard to the antlers of the 

 Szechuan deer ; but I possess a figure (reproduced 

 from a photograph and published many years ago 

 in The Asian), of the head of a stag from Upper 

 Yun-nan, in which the five-tined antlers are indis- 

 tinguishable from those of Mr. Wallace's Kansu 

 deer. The head in question w^as originally referred, 

 with doubt, to the shou ; but from its resemblance 

 to that of C. kansuensis, coupled with its locality, 

 there can be no doubt that it is referable to 

 C. inacneilli, or, at all events, to a race of the same. 

 The Kansu deer is probably only a dark-coloured 

 race of the Szechuan and Yun-nan C. macneilli." 



Speaking generally, I should describe the stags 

 we saw as resembling red deer in shape and build, 

 but more uniform in colour, much larger, with the 

 roar of a Scottish stag and the horns of a wapiti. 



They are found in the Minshan Ivlountains over 

 an area of about fifty by twenty-five miles. They 

 do not extend to the north, east or west, but are 

 said to exist to the south beyond the mountains. 



They are kept in captivity by the Chinese, who 

 saw the horns off annually when they are in the 

 velvet. Many of these animals are in wretched 

 condition, being haltered to a stall. Their hoofs 

 when thus stabied attain great length and render 

 walking difficult. One we saw at Taochow was 

 known to be over thirty years old, and grew miser- 



