256 



he creeps ignobly through the brushwood, stealthily avoiding some 

 suspected danger, his appearance is then mean to a degree, though 

 he is only acting as instinct guides him ; but there is another side 

 to the picture, affording a complete contrast. Imagine a forest glade, 

 the graceful bamboo arching overhead, forming a lovely vista, with 

 here and there bright spots and deep shadows the effect of the 

 sun's rays struggling to penetrate the leafy roof of nature's aisle 

 deep in the solitude of the woods see now the dappled herd, and 

 watch the handsome buck as he roams here and there in the midst 

 of his harem, or, browsing amongst the bushes, exhibits his graceful 

 antlers to the lurking foe, who, by patient woodcraft, has succeeded 

 in approaching his unsuspecting victim : observe how proudly he 

 holds himself, as some other buck, of less pretensions, dares to 

 approach the ladies of the group ; see how he advances, as on tip- 

 toe, all the hair of his body standing on end, and with a thundering 

 rush drives headlong away this bold intruder, and then comes 

 swaggering back ! but, hark ! a twig has broken ! suddenly the 

 buck wheels round, facing the quarter from whence the sound pro- 

 ceeded : look at him now, and say, is he not a quarry well worth 

 the hunter's notice ? With head erect, antlers thrown back, his 

 white throat exposed, his tail raised, his whole body gathered 

 together, prepared to bound away into the deep forest in the 

 twinkling of an eye, he stands a splendid specimen of the cervine 

 tribe. We will not kill him ; we look and admire ! A doe sudden- 

 ly gives that imperceptible signal to which I have formerly 

 alluded, and the next moment the whole herd has dashed through 

 the bamboo alleys, vanishing from sight, a dappled hide now and 

 again gleaming in the sunlight as its owner scampers away to more 

 distant haunts." 



No. 69, Page 112. Axis Porcinus. 



The Hog Deer. 



So many of our Madras sportsmen now visit Burmah that to most 

 military men this animal does not require any description, but as 

 some of us will insist upon applying the name " hog deer" to the tiny 

 " mcmimna Indica" or mouse deer, page 121 of these notes and 

 269 of Jerdon, I extract as follows : 



" General color a li^ht chcsnut or olive-brown, with an e 



