252 CERVINE. 



end of the nasals, larger than the royal antler ; median or royal antler 

 directed forwards and upwards ; beam with a terminal fork, the prongs 

 radiating laterally and equally, the inner one longest and thinnest." 



Compared with the Kashmir stag this one has the beam still more bent 

 at the origin of the median tine, and thus more removed from C. elaphus ; 

 and, like C. Wallichii, the second basal tine or bez-antler is generally 

 present, even in the second pair of horns assumed. Moreover, the simple 

 bifurcation of the crown mentioned above, is a still more characteristic 

 point of difference, both from the Kashmir JBarasingha, and the stag of 

 Europe. The Shou nearly approaches the Wapiti, Cervus canadensis, 

 in size and general character, but the horns of the latter converge less 

 at the tip, or do not tend to converge at all, and the crown consists 

 mostly of " successively diminishing tines on the same plane, thrown off 

 and upward from the continuation of the beam that inclines backward." 



One pair of horns measured 54 inches along the curve, and 47 inches 

 in divergence between the two outer snags; the longest basal tine 12 

 inches, the median 8 ; and still larger ones have been seen. 



Hodgson first made known this fine stag, but was misled by his shika- 

 rees to believe it to be an inhabitant of the sal forest of the Nepal Terai. 

 Blyth, from imperfect materials, long denied the existence of this species 

 as distinct from C. Wallichii, but latterly (1861) fully acknowledged his 

 former error. It inhabits Eastern Tibet ; and, as I was informed by 

 Dr. Campbell, the valley of Choombi, on the Sikim side of Tibet, 

 formerly the summer retreat of the Sikim Rajas. 



It is probably also the great stag of Northern China, the Irbisch of 

 Siberia, and the Alain of Atkinson. How far west it extends we have no 

 exact information, but it probably extends to the longitude of the western 

 boundary of Nepal, at least, on the other side of the Snowy range Indeed, 

 it has been stated by Blyth, that he saw some " horns of this deer brought 

 from Ladakh ; but that does not prove that they were killed there/' 



It is a question whether the individual from which the figure of Cervus 

 Wallichii was taken belonged to this species or the Kashmir stag. The 

 individual stag was living in the Barrackpore Menagerie, and was stated 

 to have been brought from Muktinath, near Dewaligiri, to the east of the 

 Gnndhuk river, but north of the Snowy range. When Mr. Blyth first 

 obtained a specimen of the " Shou" from Dr. Campbell, he stated that, 

 " most decidedly it is that well figured in M. F. Cuvier's work by the 

 name C. Wallichu" He subsequently, however, says, " this animal died 



