SPOTTED DEER 



lovely fawn, slightly darker in the old bucks, white spotted 

 throughout. There is a black dorsal stripe from the 

 neck to the end of the tail, bordered by two rows of 

 smallish white spots. The chin, throat, belly, under parts 

 of limbs and tail, white. Face brownish, unspotted ; ears 

 brown outside, white inside. 1 The tail is about 12 inches 

 long and is erected, showing the white " scut " just as 

 the deer bounds away when alarmed. 



This species of deer is peculiar to India and Ceylon, 

 and is by far the most common "game" to be met with 

 in the latter country. They are not found in Ceylon 

 above 1500 feet elevation, being confined almost entirely 

 to the low country, though a few may be met with among 

 the foot-hills bordering it, but their distinctive localities 

 are the ancient village, tank, and paddy field sites, and all 

 the " parks " of the low country of Ceylon. They are 

 gregarious, and may be met with in herds of any number up 

 to forty or fifty, where they have not been much molested. 

 Occasionally solitary does and bucks are met with, but 

 generally at least two animals will be found together. A 

 herd will always contain one master buck, no matter how 

 many other bucks are present. 



Their natural habits are not nocturnal nor are they 

 forest animals, but prefer open glades and parks in which 

 they will remain, if undisturbed, practically all day, or until 

 heat and flies drive them into the forest, into which, how- 

 ever, they never go very far. They drink daily, and in 

 the dry season will come to the nearest water-hole about 

 midday, where, as I have previously stated, they are merci- 

 lessly slaughtered by the natives. Their alarm call is 

 a very shrill bark, whilst the buck's challenge is a fearful 



1 There are, I believe, some slight differences in colour and markings 

 between Indian and Ceylon spotted deer. AUTHOR. 



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