940 THE UNGULATES, OR HOOFED MAMMALS 



middle of the upper surface. These deer are caught in traps by the inhabitants of 

 Formosa, by whom, as well as by the dwellers on the island of Samasana, they are 



kept as pets. 



Lastly, we have the imperfectly-known Caspian deer ( C. caspicus) 

 Caspian Deer ^ om tlie falish mountains, near the southwestern extremity of the 

 Caspian Sea in Northern Persia, which has been provisionally assigned to the pres- 

 ent group. If rightly thus placed, this species is of interest as showing that the 

 group is represented in Western, as well as in Eastern Asia. The one skull, on the 

 evidence of which the Caspian deer was considered to represent a distinct species, 

 differs from that of the other members of the group in that the antlers have only 

 three points when fully adult, namely, a brow-tine and a fork at the extremity. 



THE INDIAN SPOTTED DEER, OR CHITAL (Cervus axis} 



The spotted, or axis deer, of India and Ceylon, is our first representative of 

 two very closely-allied groups of Indian deer, in which the cylindrical antlers have 

 but three tines on each side; the bez-tine being absent, and the beam terminating in 

 a simple fork. In the spotted deer, of which a single antler is shown in C of the 

 figure on p. 928 and a pair in the upper figure of the accompanying cut, the bez- 

 tine of the antlers is given off nearly at a right angle with the beam. The whole 

 length of the antlers is about three times that of the skull in average specimens, and 

 the hinder tine of the terminal fork is considerably longer than the one in front. 



The spotted deer, or, as it is called in India, the chital or chitra, varies con- 

 siderably in height in different localities, buck from Northern and Central India 

 standing, according to Blanford, from three feet to three feet two inches at the 

 withers, whereas in Southern India the height seldom exceeds from two feet six 

 inches to two feet eight inches. The neck and throat of this deer are devoid of any 

 mane, the tail is relatively long, pointed, and thin, and the cheek-teeth are charac- 

 terized by the great height of their crowns. The ground color of the fur is a rufous 

 fawn; the whole of the body being marked by a number of large white spots, which 

 are present at all ages of the animal throughout the year, and tend to arrange them- 

 selves in longitudinal lines. The head and neck are of a uniform brownish color, 

 and there is a black line running from the nape of the neck to the end of the tail. 

 White prevails on the inside of the ears, the chin, the upper part of the throat, the 

 under parts of. the body, and the insides of the limbs, as well as on the under sur- 

 face of the tail. As in the case of the fallow deer, a blackish variety is occasionally 

 met with, in which the spots are only very faintly indicated. An individual stand- 

 ing close upon three feet in height weighed one hundred and forty-five pounds. 



Although the antlers of the spotted deer are typically but three tined, there are 

 not unfrequently a number of small points or " sports " at the junction of the brow- 

 tine with the beam, but such sports are rare higher up. The average length of the 

 antlers of the larger race of this species may be given as about thirty inches, but 

 examples reaching thirty -eight and thirty-eight and three-fourths inches in length, 

 with a girth of five and three-fourths inches above the burr, have been recorded. 



