chap. I. THE ELK, ' OR SAMBER DEER: 21 



The animal thus called is a * samber deer,' well known 

 in India as the largest of all Asiatic deer. 



A buck in his prime will stand fourteen hands high 

 at the shoulder, and will weigh 600 pounds, live 

 weight. He is in colour dark brown, with a fine mane 

 of coarse bristly hair of six inches in length ; the rest 

 of his body is covered with the same coarse hair of 

 about two inches in length. I have a pair of antlers 

 in my possession that are thirteen inches round the 

 burr, and the same size beneath the first branch, and 

 three feet four inches in length ; this, however, is a 

 very unusual size. 



The elk has seldom more than six points to his 

 antlers. The low-country elk are much larger than 

 those on the highlands ; the latter are seldom more 

 than from twelve to thirteen hands high ; and of 

 course their weight is proportionate, that of a buck in 

 condition being about 400 pounds when gralloched. 

 I have killed them much heavier than this on the 

 mountains, but I have given about the average 

 weight. 



The habits of this animal are purely nocturnal. 

 He commences his wanderings at sunset, and retires 

 to the forest at break of day. He is seldom found in 

 greater numbers than two or three together, and is 

 generally alone. When brought to bay he fights to 

 the last, and charges man and hound indiscriminately, 

 a choice hound killed being often the price of victory. 



