The Muntjac 



THE MUNTJAC 



{Cervulus muntjac) 



Native Names. — Kakar^ Hindustani ; Ratwa^ Nepa- 

 LESE ; Karsiar of the Bhotias ; Sikku of the 

 Lepchas ; Maya^ Bengali ; Gutra (male), Gutri 

 (female) and Bherki of the Gonds ; Bekra and 

 Bekar, Mahrathi ; Karikari, Kard-kari^ Kond- 

 kari and Chali^ Canarese ; Kuka-gori^ Telegu ; 

 Kalai and Katu-ardu^ Tamil ; IVeli and Hula- 

 muha^ Cingalese ; Hugeri^ Assamese ; Gj/, 

 Burmese ; Kidang^ Malay ; Jangli-bakri^ com- 

 monly IN Southern India. 



(Plate vii, fig. 2) 



Although the term " muntjac " is one in regard to 

 the origin of which there seems no clue (it was used 

 by the German naturalist Zimmermann so long ago as 

 the year 1780 as the name ot the present species) it is 

 so convenient a designation for the small deer of the 

 genus Cervulus^ since it serves to mark their distinct- 

 ness from the members of the genus Cervus^ that its 

 retention is advisable. Some writers, apparently basing 

 their objection on the fact that muntjac is not the 

 native name of any member of the group, prefer the 

 title rib-faced deer, or barking deer, but such a 

 designation fails to emphasise the structural difference 

 between the present group and more typical deer. 



Muntjacs in the wider sense of the term are small 

 deer inhabiting India and some of the neighbouring 

 countries, easily recognised by the peculiar structure of 

 the skull and anders of the bucks. The anders, which 

 do not normally exceed half the length of the head, are 

 two-pointed, and consist of a short brow-tine, and a 

 beam, of which the tip is inclined inwards ; the two 

 forming an acute angle at their junction. These antlers 



257 s 



