The Deer Tribe 



291 



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Photo by the Duchess of Bedford} [Wobur/i Abbey. 



MALE SIBERIAN EOE. 



A very large species of roebuck, with more rugged antlers than the 

 European-roe. 



The SWAMP-DEER, the true Barasingh of 

 India, as distinguished from the Kashmir 

 stag, which is often loosely called Barasingh, 

 is a plain-loving species, found in various 

 parts of India, and characterised by hand- 

 some antlers, bearing as many as from 10 to 

 16 points. This is a big, heavy deer, stand- 

 ing nearly 4 feet at the withers, and weigh- 

 ing as much as 40 stone. The summer coat 

 is light rufous, more or less spotted with 

 white. The winter coat is yellowish brown. 

 A near relative to this deer is SCHOMBURGK'S 

 DEER, found in Northern Siam. The antlers 

 of this stag are most curiously forked and 

 bifurcated. 



The THAMIN, or ELD'S DEER, sometimes 

 called the Brow-antlered Deer, is another 

 plains-deer, found chiefly from Manipur, 

 through Burma, to the Malay Peninsula. 

 It is a good-sized species, standing about 

 3 feet 9 inches at the shoulder, and weighing 

 as much as 17 stone. The large antlers are 

 simple in type, the brow-tines curving down 

 curiously over the forehead ; the tail is sharp, 

 and the neck provided with a mane, the young 

 being spotted. A Siamese race of Eld's deer, found in Siam and Hainan, differs somewhat from 

 the Burmese type. 



THE MUNTJACS. 



The MUNTJACS, or BARKING-DEER, are a 

 group of small deer found in India, Burma, 

 and the Malay region. The INDIAN MUNTJAC 

 stands about 2 feet in height, and weighs 

 some 28 Ibs. The antlers, which average 5 

 or 6 inches in length, bear two points 

 brow-tine and beam ; the lower portions, or 

 pedicles, are curiously covered with hair, and 

 the front of the face is ribbed or ridged in 

 V fashion. The general colour is a golden 

 bay, the face and limbs brown, and the lower 

 parts white. The buck has sharp tusks in 

 the upper jaw, and, at a pinch, knows how to 

 make use of them. A shy, stealthy little 

 creature, the muntjac loves dense cover, and 

 the sportsman usually obtains but a quick 

 snapshot at this active and wary little deer 

 as it flashes across him much as does a bolting 

 rabbit scuttling across a narrow drive. Local 

 Indian names for the barking-deer are Jungle- 

 sheep, Ked Hog-deer, and Eib-faced Deer. 



Other muntjacs, varying somewhat from the photo by the Duchess of Bedford} [Wobum Abbey. 



Indian form, are the HAIRY-FRONTED, the TENAS- FEMALE SIBERIAN ROE. 



SERIM, the TIBETAN, and the CHINESE MUNTJACS. The absence of a tail, characteristic of all roes, is well shown. 



