Game Animals of India, etc. 



Jhelam and the rivers joining it to flow into the Indus 

 appear to form the northern boundary of the Indian 

 antelope in the Punjab. The species is most abundant 

 in the North- West Provinces, and on the confines of 

 the Indian desert between Rajputana and the Punjab, 

 where, as already mentioned, it grows longer and finer 

 horns than in the south ; but even in these districts it 

 is only locally and apparently capriciously distributed, 

 being unknown in many places apparently in every way 

 suited to its habits. The Mattra district and the 

 neighbourhood of Meerut are well-known centres for 

 buck-shooting. 



Although often found in the churs^ or islands 

 covered with long grass in the river-valleys, as well as 

 on the banks of the latter, blackbuck are essentially 

 inhabitants of open plains, avoiding hilly and forest-clad 

 districts. No other Indian ruminant occurs in such 

 extensive herds, and although it is difficult to credit the 

 statement that in the Hissar district the numbers in a 

 herd were estimated at between 8000 and 10,000, yet 

 there is no cioubt that in old days these were very large 

 indeed. More commonly the herds consist of from 

 about ten to thirty, or even fifty does, attended by a 

 single master-buck, who does not, however, remain 

 constantly in charge. The pairing-season takes place 

 in February or March, the time varying somewhat 

 according to locality. The young may be either one or 

 two in number, and as they may be seen of all ages at 

 all seasons, it would almost seem as if the period of 

 gestation were not constant, although this is unlikely. 

 Not unfrequently during the pairing-season the master- 

 buck separates a particular doe as his special companion, 

 whom he will not allow to rejoin the herd till the 

 period is over. Young fawns are frequently concealed 

 by their dams among grass or bushes ; and occasionally 

 adults, especially if wounded, will resort to such covert. 



The short grass which partially covers so much of 

 the plains of India, as well as various kinds of cereal 



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