Sika-Deer of North China. 121 



that lies west of the Fen Ho. Even here it occurs only in a 

 few isolated districts, namely : — 



1. The forest to the south of Ning-wu Fu, west of Tsing- 

 lo Hsien and north of Ko-lau Chou, where Heude's specimen 

 was doubtless secured. 



2. In the forested area 90 miles west of Tai-yuan Fu, 

 known as the Chiao-ch'eng Shan. 



3. In the forested area 100 miles south-west of Fen-chou 

 Fu, known as the Ning-hsiang Hsien mountains. 



Formerly its range extended throughout the whole of the 

 mountainous area of West Shansi, as well as in the moun- 

 tains that extend in a north and south line between Shansi 

 and Chihli; but it has been almost exterminated by native 

 hunters for the sake of its horns, which are highly valued 

 as medicine. Only a few isolated herds occur in the districts 

 above mentioned, where they keep to the densest parts of the 

 forest. Even so, they are being steadily exterminated. 



This sika ruts in November and December, sheds its horns 

 about March, the new growth commencing about the end of 

 July. It is during August and September that this species 

 is most sedulously hunted by the natives, for then the horns 

 are considered to be in their prime. 



Following is a diagnosis of the sika occurring in the 

 Chihli forests : — 



Cervus mandarinus, Milne-Edwards. 



Cervus mandarinus Milne-Edwards, ' Itecherches pour servir a l'His- 

 toire Naturelle de Manimiferes,' vol. i. (text), pp. 184-186, vol. ii. 

 pis. xxii. et xxii.A. 



This sika differs from C. mantchuricus, Sw., in having the 

 white spots larger and fewer in number, in being generally 

 lighter in colour, with less white on the croup disk, and in 

 having the parts below the belly the same colour as the 

 flanks, instead of white. The differences in the winter pelage 

 are not so marked. 



Milue-Edwards states that the spots in C. mantchuricus in 

 the winter pelage are so invisible as not to have been given 

 in Sclater's figures. (In this it resembles the Shansi stag.) 



In C. mandarinus, in spite of the general darkening of 

 the pelage, the spots remain plainly visible. 



In a letter published in the P. Z. S. 1865, No. 1, p. 142, 

 Swinboe retains the name mantchuricus for the Manchurian 

 sika, having examined a living specimen at New-chwang in 

 South Manchuria. He makes the statement that he suspects 

 it to be the same as the deer, skins of which he secured in 

 the Summer Palace, and which Blyth called mantchuricus 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 9. Vol ii. 9 



