The Thamin, or Eld's Deer 



Assuming this feature to be constant (as Major 

 Cumberland believes to be the case), the Manipur 

 thamin appears entitled to rank as a distinct local form, 

 for which I have proposed the name C. eldi cornipes. 



Apart from this point, the modification is of special 

 interest as indicating a mode by which ruminants may 

 adapt themselves to a life in swamps. In the well- 

 known instance of the sitatunga antelope of Africa, a 

 sufficiently large surface of support is afforded by a 

 lengthening of the hoofs ; in the present case the 

 hoofs remain of the normal length, and support is 

 obtained by the animal walking on the under surface 

 of the hardened pasterns. It is, in fact, an incipient 

 instance of the reversion of a digitigrade animal to the 

 plantigrade progression of its swamp-dwelling ancestors. 



Thamin are found on all flat alluvial tracts in the 

 countries to the east of the Bay of Bengal, ranging 

 from Manipur through Burma and Tenasserim into 

 the Malay Peninsula. 



The largest pair of thamin-antlers recorded measures 

 42 inches along the outer curve (exclusive of the brow- 

 tine), with a basal circumference of 5, a tip-to-tip 

 interval of 29, and a maximum width inside of 

 24 inches. The corresponding dimensions of the 

 second largest specimen are 41, 5^^, 27^, and 

 36 inches. Both came from Burma, the former 

 having two points on one side and three on the other, 

 while the latter has five in both antlers. 



Thamin are very similar in their mode of life to 

 swamp-deer, congregating for at least a portion of the 

 year in large herds, and frequenting low, flat country, 

 where they at all times avoid thick forest and dense 

 bush -jungle, although frequently resorting to open 

 tree -jungle. To a great extent they are grazing 

 animals, feeding largely on wild rice ; but they also 

 browse on the leaves of certain trees. When 

 disturbed, hinds give vent to a kind of barking grunt, 

 while the cry of the stags is a louder and longer sound 



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