508 MAMMALIA OF INDIA. 
overhead, forming a lovely vista, with here and there bright spots and 
deep shadows—the effect of the sun’s rays struggling to penetrate the 
leafy roof of nature’s aisle. Deep in the solitude of the woods see now 
the dappled herd, and watch the handsome buck as he roams here and 
there in the midst of his harem, or, browsing amongst the bushes, 
exhibits his graceful antlers to the lurking foe, who by patient wood- 
craft has succeeded in approaching his unsuspecting victim ; observe 
how proudly he holds himself, as some other buck of less pretensions 
dares to approach the ladies of the group ; see how he advances, as on 
tiptoe, all the hair of his body standing on end, and with a thundering 
rush drives headlong away this bold intruder, and then comes swagger- 
ing back! But, hark—a twig has broken! Suddenly the buck wheels 
round, facing the quarter whence the sound proceeded. Look at him 
now, and say, is he not a quarry well worth the hunter’s notice ? 
“With head erect, antlers thrown back, his white throat exposed, his 
tail raised, his whole body gathered together, prepared to bound away 
into the deep forest in the twinkling of an eye, he stands a splendid 
specimen of the cervine tribe. We will not kill him; we look and 
admire! A doe suddenly gives that imperceptible signal to which I 
have formerly alluded, and the next moment the whole herd has dashed 
through the bamboo alleys, vanishing from sight—a dappled hide now 
and again gleaming in the sunlight as its owner scampers away to more 
distant haunts.” 
Jerdon is a follower of Hodgson, who was of opinion that there are 
two species of spotted deer—a larger and smaller, the latter inhabiting 
Southern India; but there is no reason for adopting this theory; both 
Blyth, Gray, and others have ignored this, and the most that can be 
conceded is that the southern animal is a variety owing to climatic con- 
ditions. Multiplication of species is a thing to be avoided of all 
naturalists—I have, therefore, not separated them. McMaster too 
writes: “I cannot agree with Jerdon that there are two species of 
spotted deer.” And he had experience in Southern India as well as in © 
other parts. He states that the finest c/z¢a/ he ever came across were 
found in the forests in Goomsoor, where, he adds, “as in every other 
part of Orissa, both spotted deer and sambar are, I think, more than 
usually large.” 
No. 473. AXIS PORCINUS. 
The Hog Deer ( Jerdon’s No. 222). 
Native Names.—/fara, Hindi; Jerdon also gives Khar-/aguna, 
Nepal Terai; Swgorta also in some parts. Vuthurini-haran in some 
parts of Bengal; Wecl-mooha, Singhalese (Ked/aart.) 
Hasirat,—Throughout India, though séarce in the central parts ; it 
Sader 
