THE RED DEER 



are seldom over 5 inches in length on the curve measured 

 from the burr, not including the pedicle, and have a tiny 

 brow tine about an inch long pointing upwards at an angle, 

 whilst the main tine ends, near the point, in a sharp curve 

 inwards and slightly backwards. The horns are dropped, 

 I believe, occasionally, but not at any regular season, and 

 curiously enough I have seldom seen a head in velvet, and 

 I once only shot a buck whose horns were not quite clean 

 and not thoroughly rubbed down. 



The buck has a pair of long, exceedingly sharp canine 

 teeth in the upper jaw, which project beyond the lips on 

 each side of the lower jaw when the mouth is closed, and 

 with these it can inflict nasty wounds, so much so that a 

 native on killing a deer will knock out these teeth at once, 

 as they believe an accidental scratch or wound from them 

 is very dangerous. When alarmed this deer runs with its 

 head held very low, and often makes, no one knows how, a 

 peculiar rattling noise when so running. When not alarmed 

 it steps along very daintily, but with a jerky sort of action, 

 poking its head about like a bird. 



Its alarm call is a dog-like loud bark, from which it 

 derives one of the names it is known by barking deer and, 

 like most other deer, it often gives a stamp with a fore-foot 

 when suspicious, alarmed, or before uttering its bark. This 

 alarm call is often so like a dog's bark as to quite deceive 

 an inexperienced sportsman, as I once had evidence of, 

 much to my amusement. I was on a trip with a friend at 

 the time, and we had just passed through a small village 

 in the jungle and were about to enter the jungle again, 

 when I heard a red deer barking just ahead of us. I got 

 my rifle ready and began to move along very gingerly, 

 when my friend said, "It is all right, it is only barking, 

 not tongueing ! " 



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