Neilgherry Ibex and Sambur. 253 



sent for the stag. Resuming our tracking we soon 

 found that the old " saddle back " was not only hard 

 hit, but was a knowing old brute ; for though we 

 started him two or three times, I did not get another 

 shot at him till close on 4 P.M. Fortunately he was 

 unable to go over bad ground, so picked his way along 

 the most level country he could find. Finally with a 

 snap shot I killed him, not a mile from the camp. He 

 had a good head, horns close on fourteen inches. I 

 hunted for three more days, but only got one other 

 " saddle back," and that not nearly the equal of the 

 first I obtained. During this trip I saw several 

 sambur, but none as large as the stag that I had 

 killed, so was content with having slain the monarch 

 of the glen. 



Sambur shooting in Burma is so mixed up with 

 general shooting that I propose having a few words to- 

 say about it hereafter. 



Marsh- deer (Rucervus Davaucellii). This deer is 

 widely distributed. It is found in various parts of 

 India and I have shot it near the Godavery, but no- 

 wiiere is it more plentiful than in Assam. Its habitat 

 does not extend to Burma. Very few deer in the 

 wild state in the East carry much fat, but the marsh 

 or swamp deer is an exception, for I have shot them 

 in such condition that lumps of fat, nearly the size 

 of my fist, have come through the bullet holes. Many 

 of the stags carry very fine heads and it is not un- 

 common to find them possess eighteen points, although 

 twelve to fourteen is more usual. I once saw a head, 

 not a large one by any means, which had no less than 

 twenty-seven tines, but they were mostly stunted. 

 Of course the head was valuable as a curiosity. 



