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1 have also remarked this habit : perhaps this long tongue and the 

 movable canine teeth being smacked together, may cause the 

 curious rattling noise of loose bone I have mentioned. 



No- 62- Memimna Indica* 



JKRDON, No. 225, PAGE 269 ; MOUSE DEER. 



This curious little deer is not uncommon in the Orissa forests, 

 and few beats for large game, are got over without some being seen ; 

 although, as they are much too small for ball practice, they are not 

 often killed, unless by the beaters, who sometimes mob them, or 

 knock them over with sticks. Their color and action remind me 

 much of a young wild pig, but I suspect that the latter would beat 

 them easily, could the speed of each be tried. 



The venison is excellent, but it has sometimes appeared to me to 

 have a slightly musky taste, possibly however this may have been 

 mere imagination on my part. 



As Jerdon says at page 269 of his book, the action of these little 

 animals is " very inelegant," this and their resemblance in color 

 and stripes, or spotted markings, to a very young wild pig, have 

 caused many Madras sportsmen to persist in erroneously terming 

 them "hog-deer," a name which should only be applied to the 

 porcine axis, page 262, No. 222 of Jerdon, and thus, as I have 

 tried to point out at page 112 of these notes, some confusion has 

 ensued, and even authorities so good as Jerdon and Blyth have been 

 led to suppose that the true hog-deer is to be found in the Madras 

 presidency. 



I believe that this little deer is very easily tamed ; but I do not 

 think that I have ever seen it in captivity. From its beauti- 

 fully marked skin and minute size, however, it should be a very 

 favorite pet. 



It is very little larger than the common Indian hare, and may 

 well be termed the mouse-deer, for its weight Vide Jerdon, page 

 269, is only " from 5 to 6 Bbs.," whereas a large specimen of the 

 bandicoot rat, " Mus bandicota" Vide page 193 of his book, 

 weighed 3 tbs. 



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