Thorold's Deer, or the Lhasa Stag 



THOROLD'S DEER, OR THE LHASA STAG 



( Cerv u s albirostris ) 

 (Plate vi, fig. 3) 



Although a member of the typical group of the 

 genus CervuSj Thorold's deer Is distinguished from 

 its relatives by its white muzzle, lips, and chin, the 

 reversal of the hair on the withers, which forms a kind 

 of hump, and is directed forwards, and the compara- 

 tively simple antlers, which lack the bez-tine, and have 

 but four or five points each. 



In size this deer is very nearly the same as the 

 hangul. The antlers, which, as already mentioned, 

 lack the bez-tine and carry either four or five points, 

 are much flattened and have the beam suddenly bent 

 back at the trez-tine (which, owing to the absence of 

 the bez, is the second of the series). The brow-tine 

 springs from the beam some distance above the burr ; 

 the trez-tine is situated nearly in the plane of those 

 above it, the tine immediately above the trez being 

 larger than any of the rest. The antlers differ widely 

 from those of the hangul and shou in that the terminal 

 fork is parallel to the long axis of the head, as in 

 wapiti. The tail is short, and included in the large 

 light rump-patch. The colour is dark brown, with the 

 hairs minutely speckled, scarcely lighter on the under- 

 parts than on the back. The rump-patch, which 

 extends down the inner sides of the thighs, is pale 

 ochrey buff, without any white below the tail, but 

 bordered with blackish in front. The face is somewhat 

 darker than the back, the inner surface of the ears 

 whitish, while the muzzle, lips, and chin are white. 

 The hair is coarse and brittle ; and the metatarsal 

 gland, which is covered with still coarser hair, is situated 

 about halfway up the cannon-bone. 



In the formation of the antlers this deer appears to 



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