200 



DEER. 



this roebuck of central Asia, and the roebuck of 

 Europe. As we are not very intimately informed on 

 the subject of the natural history of this part of the 

 world, it has not been ascertained with certainty 

 that the manners of the animal under notice corre- 

 spond exactly with those of the roebuck of the west ; 

 but the structural resemblance, we may almost say 

 identity, is so great as to leave little doubt upon the 

 point. It is probable that this animal is found over 

 the greater part of the high lands in Asia, and that it 

 is modified in its coat in different parts there to as 

 great an extent as the difference between it, as de- 

 scribed in the south of Siberia, and our roebuck ; and 

 what gives more probability to the supposition of its 

 being but one species from India to Britain, is the 

 fact that in the milder climate of India, there is nearly 

 the same deviation from the Tartarian type as in the 

 milder climate of Europe. Our roebuck is smaller 

 than the Tartarian, shorter and smoother in its coat, 

 and with the horns less developed. The Indian 

 variety is described as being still smaller than ours, 

 more smooth in its coat, and with the horns less deve- 

 loped. These circumstances would lead us to infer 

 that the roebuck is more generally distributed over 

 the eastern continent than any other of the larger 

 mammalia which remain in a state of nature. There 

 is still, however, a good deal to be done in order to 

 trace the connexion between the different localities 

 in which it is found, and to mark the gradation by 

 which the characters of the one locality run into those 

 of the other. But these points are not impossible, for 

 they only require observation ; and as it is highly 

 probable that lines of communication may soon be 

 opened up through central Asia, we shall not much 

 longer remain in such deep ignorance as we are at 

 present respecting that portion of the country which 

 may be saiu to connect the four distinct characters of 

 land and climate of which Asia is composed. Siberia 

 sloping toward the northern sea, China to the eastern, 

 India and Persia to the southern, and the central coun- 

 tries of Asia toward the great salt-lake of the Caspian. 

 All these four are very different in their different 

 characters, and in their vegetable productions ; and 

 therefore they must produce corresponding modifica- 

 tions in the characters of animals ; and if we could 

 once see clearly how one species, such as the roebuck, 

 common to the whole, has been modified by each, we 

 should be furnished with a key to much of their natu- 

 ral history, the knowledge of which we never can 

 obtain by local and individual observation, however 

 assiduous and however accurate. Nor would the in- 

 formation be confined to the present time only ; for 

 as it is well ascertained that the roebuck has inhabited 

 even the west of Europe along with some of the lost 

 animals, and as the fossil horns resemble those of the 

 Asiatic more than the modern roebuck of Europe, 

 this species, well made out, would be at least one 

 means of carrying our knowledge backward to the 

 time when they existed. 



The NEPAL STAG Cervus WUlichii. This species 

 is found in the upper valleys of the Himalaya, and 

 partakes partly of the characters of the common stag, 

 and partly of those of the roebuck ; but more of the 

 former. The horns are circular in their section, each is 

 furnished with two brow antlers turning upwards,which 

 with an additional snag higher up the beam, form a 

 sort of bifurcation. The beam rises with a contrary 

 flexure, bent backwards, and then slightly forwards. 

 TnJ size of the full-grown animal is large ; the colour 



on the upper part yellowish brown ; lachrymal sinuses 

 large; the ear short and broad, the tail very short, sur- 

 rounded with a very large white disk. The legs fawn 

 colour, the hoofs black, very fine in their texture, and 

 sharp pointed, resembling those of the mountain an- 

 telopes. The history of this species, its habits, the 

 change of its colour, and the texture of its fur with 

 age or with seasons are, however, very imperfectly 

 known. Its most remarkable external character is the 

 position of the disc, which is more above the tail than 

 below it, whereas the contrary is the case in most of 

 the other species. 



*In the south of Asia and the Asiatic isles, there are 

 two distinct groups of the genus Cervus, which differ 

 in some respects from the deer of Europe, and the 

 different members, whether we are to consider them 

 as species or as varieties, which compose each group, 

 have certain characters in common which enable us to 

 generalise and thereby shorten, at least, a part of the 

 descriptions of them. As these are known only in 

 Asia, at least, as native animals (for some have been 

 imported into Europe in the living state), we can 

 describe them only by their names as known to natu- 

 ralists. The one group is styled Rusa and the other 

 Ax'is, which we shall shortly notice in succession. 



ROSA. The general characters of this group are : 

 the horns round, with a brow antler and a single snag 

 near the tip, but without any bas-antler or branch on 

 the middle; they have a broad muzzle, and large 

 lachrymal sinuses. The males have canine teeth, and 

 rugged manes ; the tail is also longer than in any of 

 the European deer ; and some of them at least are of 

 larger size. They are the upland or woodland deer 

 of India, and the larger islands of the East ; and in 

 their manners they in general more resemble the stag 

 than any other of our species of deer. There are 

 several species of them named in the books ; but some 

 of them are known only as museum specimens. It is 

 certain, however, that the animals are very plentiful 

 in the tangled and unfrequented parts both of India 

 and of the islands. Indeed, it is probable that some 

 of the species may inhabit the southern side of the 

 mountains considerably to the westward ; for one is 

 mentioned by Aristotle, of the size of a stag, and with 

 a mane on the withers, and a horn resembling the 

 roebucks. 



The GREAT RUSA Ccrvus hippelaphus. This is 

 one of the species the habitat of whieJi is not very well 

 known, though it is probable that it exists in many 

 parts of continental India ; but the specimens which 

 have appeared in Europe have been obtained from 

 the islands, chiefly from Java. The hair is coarse and 

 hard ; and, after the first year, that on the throat, 

 cheeks, and neck, is long and shaggy, the latter form- 

 ing an erectible mane. In summer the colour is yel- 

 lowish, and the disc on the buttocks nearly obliterated, 

 but in winter the colour on the upper part becomes 

 gray-brown, and the disc becomes more conspicuous. 

 Different specimens have, however, varied so much in 

 their colours, as well as their size, that the species is 

 not very well made out. 



The SAMVER OF BENGAL Cervus Aristotelis. This 

 species is much better known than the former, being 

 met with in many parts of India, especially in the val- 

 ley of the Ganges. Its characteristic distinction taken 

 from the horns, is that of having the branch or second 

 antler very far up upon the beam, and turned to the 

 rear, instead of forming a fork with the tip of the beam, 

 as in most others of the group. 



