168 THE SHOTTED AXIS. 



finement they are mild tempered, and easily tamed, 

 and, like many of the tribe, extremely nice in tasting 

 any food which has been much handled or wrought 

 among. The cry somewhat resembles that of the 

 stag. 



The height of the Axis at the shoulder is 2 feet 

 6 or 7 inches. The hair is softer than in the other 

 deer, and not so dry or brittle. The ground colour 

 of the body is of a rich but delicate fawn colour, 

 changing to nearly black along the back, and on 

 the lower parts shaded to a pure white. The flanks, 

 shoulders, hind quarters, and a part of the neck, are 

 marked with white spots. These are generally di- 

 rected in lines, one along each side of the back, and 

 one between the belly and the flanks; two also spring 

 from the shoulders, and descend on the limbs, and 

 two divide the hind quarters, and descend upon the 

 belly ; and the whole hinder part of the thigh is bor- 

 dered with a lengthened white spot or border. This 

 is the general distribution of the spots ; but they 

 vary in different individuals. The females are near- 

 ly similar, except being less in size, and wanting 

 horns ; and the young at their birth nearly resemble 

 their parents in colouring. Several varieties of lesser 

 size and varied spotting are found ; and it is pro- 

 bable that another animal is still mixed up with some 

 of these. 



Another animal, to be referred to this division, 

 and whose characters have been somewhat obscure, 

 is 



