CHAPTER VII. 



SAMBUE. 



Cervus Aristotdis. 



I AM convinced that there are two varieties of this 

 deer, one which inhabits the mountain districts of 

 the far east, and the other frequents its vast plains, 

 principally those of Burma. The former is a prize worth 

 obtaining ; the latter, although nearly its equal in size, 

 yet has insignificant horns, and is all but devoid of 

 the mane which is so conspicuous in the first 

 mentioned. Another peculiarity of the sambur of 

 the plains, is, that almost every one, in the hot 

 season, at all events, has a sore or abrasion of the skin 

 underneath the neck, about the size of a shilling? 

 caused, the Burmese assert, by its rubbing against 

 fallen timber to get rid of parasites. In Burma, the 

 " rusas " begin to shed their horns in June or July. 

 The marsh deer in Assam do not lose theirs until 

 October and November. All these deer are possessed 

 of immense vitality, and will go away with wounds that 

 would stop the progress of any other game. " The 

 Old Forest Hanger " mentions a case of a sambur stag- 

 going off with thirteen well-placed bullets, and I have 

 myself put eight belted balls (No. 10 bore) in a moderate- 



R 2 



