HORNLESS DEER 



CHAPTER IV 



The Deerlet 



A FIRST glance at the little creature known as the 

 Chevrotain or " deerlet " (Tragulus meminna) 

 would not establish a definite idea in the mind as to 

 its exact position in the animal kingdom. It is not 

 unsuggestive of one of the long legged rodents, such 

 as the agouti ; it has also a slight hint of a marsupial 

 about it. The hornless head seems to forbid its 

 association with the group to which its feet evidently 

 and certainly ally it. The fact of the matter is that 

 the hesitation caused by the undeerlike aspect of 

 Tragulus is perfectly reasonable, inasmuch as the 

 creature is not definitely a deer though nearer to those 

 animals than to any other group. It will be observed 

 that the feet are four-toed, though the two middle 

 toes have the preponderance and are symmetrical in 

 themselves as are those of the deer. The toes, indeed, 

 are perfect pig's trotters. We understand by a pig 

 a beast of obese not to say ponderous build ; while 

 the slenderness and agility of a deer is proverbial. In 

 the person of Tragulus we have a mingling of the two 

 groups, and there is little doubt that in this mammal 

 we have an archaic form of ruminant preserved for us. 

 Its stomach is simpler than that of a true ruminant, 

 and it is clear that this animal exactly fills up the 

 position to be occupied by an animal which divides 

 the hoof and does not chew the cud. Its small size 

 is in accord with such a placing at the base of the Artio- 



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