288 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



P halt by Ihi Duchisi of Bidforf] 



HOG-DEER 



The smallest Indian representative of the sambar group 



\_HSthurn Atbt) 



of them makes them look three times their 

 real size the beam is so massive and the 

 tines so long. The stag, too, is such a 

 big beast, standing nearly a hand taller 

 than a barasingh, that if seen in the open 

 he looks as big as the Irish elk. . . . All 

 driving should be done during the heat 

 of the day, when the animals are lying 

 down ; trying to drive when beasts are 

 naturally on the move generally results 

 in the game leaving the beat before the 

 men are in their places. It may sound 

 ridiculous for a man to get up a tree in 

 a sambur drive, but he is far more likely 

 to get an easy shot in this position, as 

 the deer will neither see nor wind him ; 

 he commands more ground, and he runs 

 no risk of heading back the wary old 

 hind which often leads the herd, the 

 chances being that if he is rightly posted 

 the herd will come right under his tree. 

 Another advantage is that, his fire being 

 plunging, he can shoot all round without 

 danger to the beaters. In some parts of 

 the Himalaya native shikaris declare that 

 they often shoot sambur by selecting a 

 likely path and improvising a salt-lick, 

 after the fashion of Laplanders when they 

 want to catch their tame reindeer." The 

 flesh of this deer is coarse and only moderately good eating. 



The MALAYAN SAMBAR, found from Assam, through Burma, to the Malay Peninsula, and in 

 Siam, Hainan, Borneo, and perhaps Sumatra, is slightly less in size than its Indian prototype; 

 the antlers vary somewhat, and are shorter and stouter. The longest antlers yet recorded 

 measure 30^ inches over the outer curve ; these come from Borneo. 



The FORMOSAN SAMBAR, sometimes called Swinhoe's Deer, is, again, closely connected with 

 the Malayan sambar, and may be looked upon as purely a local race. The antlers appear to 

 run smaller, the best recorded examples only extending to 19! inches. 



The LUZON SAMBAR (Philippines), a small sub-species, and the SzECHUAN SAMBAR (North- 

 west China), are also local races of the same species. This last seems thus far to occupy the 

 most northerly habitat of this group. 



The BASILAN SAMBAR (Philippines) is, like its congener of Luzon, a small sub-species, 

 standing no more than from 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder, of slender build, and with the 

 hindquarters higher than the withers. The best antlers yet recorded measure no more than 

 15! inches. It is interesting to note that as the island of Basilan is the smallest of the 

 Philippines, so is this sambar by far the smallest of its group. Its restricted habitat has no 

 doubt conduced, during long ages, to bring about this result. 



The JAVAN SAMBAR, or RUSA, is a distinct species, found, as its name implies, in the island 

 of Java. The antlers are somewhat slender, but are, next to those of the sambar of India, the 

 longest of the group The best recorded pair measure 35! inches, while another pair from 

 Mauritius, where this animal has been introduced, measure half an inch longer. This sambar 

 is smaller than the great sambar of India, and is about on a par with a good red deer. 



The MOLUCCAN RUSA, a sub-species somewhat smaller than the Javan deer, is found in 



