14 BOE, MUSK AND SIKA. 



Formosa and along the Yang-tze Valley. The horns of these deer 

 conform to the elaphine type, but differ from those of the red deer 

 and wapiti in having no bez-tine. 



The Pekin sika is of a dark grey-brown in the winter, the white 

 spots becoming almost invisible. A full grown stag stands about 4 

 feet at the shoulder. These deer are also greatly persecuted on account 

 of their horns, which when in velvet are worth more than those of any 

 other species. Manchurian sika horns have been known to fetch as 

 much as Tls. 200 and Tls. 300 per pair. 



At present the Pekin sika is known to occur only in a few very 

 remote and inaccessible districts in North-eastern Chihli and in 

 Western Shansi. There used to be a good many in the Imperial 

 Hunting grounds near Jehol, but since the Manchu soldiers were 

 camped there a short time ago, the country seems to have been 

 cleaned out of all kinds of game including the beautiful Reeve's 

 pheasant. 



SSU-PU-HSIANG. 



It would not do to close a paper on North China deer without 

 mentioning the famous Ssu-pu-hsiang or David's deer (Elaphurus 

 davidianug). This remarkable deer was first discovered by Pere 

 Armand David in a semi-domesticated state in the Imperial Hunting 

 Park at Peking. This Park was thrown open in 1900 and all the 

 deer in it killed by the International troops. So far as the writer 

 can gather the elaphure has never been recorded in a wild state. 

 Some living specimens (doubtless taken from the Nanhai-tze in 1900) 

 have been exhibited in Europe and a few stuffed ones occur in the 

 South Kensington and Paris Museums. Where the species originally 

 came from is not known, nor does it seem likely that it will ever be 

 found in a wild state. 



The Ssu-pu-hsiang stands about 4 feet, is of a light yellow-fawn 

 colour and has a long tail like that of an ox. The nose too, is pointed 

 anct more like that of a sheep than a deer. The most peculiar feature 

 are the antlers, which instead of having brow tines, have enormous 

 tines growing backward from close to the base of the beams. The 

 latter go almost straight up finally branching, so that the total num- 

 ber of tines is six. 



It is all these peculiarities that have led to the Chinese giving 

 it the name Ssu-pu-hsiang, which means literally "not like four." 

 They say it is like, yet unlike the horse, like, yet unlike the ox, like, 

 yet unlike the deer, like, yet unlike the goat. 



