Jungle By -Ways in India 



The spotted deer, in Northern India at any rate, 

 and the same is, I think, the case in the Central 

 Provinces, sheds its horns and acquires fresh ones 

 much later in the season than is the case with 

 either barasingha or sambhar. The chitul in the 

 Tarai are not really shootable till about March, 

 although it will of course be possible to come 

 across a clean head before this date. I have seen 

 numberless heads all through December, January, 

 and February, and the majority have almost in- 

 variably been in velvet. 



In framing rules for close seasons, such natural 

 history factors require to be well known and borne 

 in mind. 



The horns are shed during the rains and ensuing 

 cold weather, but on this subject it is probable 

 that we have much to learn. I was out recently in 

 the middle of October having a first beat for jungle- 

 fowl, when a stag chitul was put up. It broke back 

 through the beaters, and one of them aimed a 

 stick at it. The stick struck the right antler, which 

 dropped off at the blow. An examination showed 

 that it was evidently just ready to be shed. 



A chitul stag carries a head of three points 

 similar to a sambhar, but the antler is not nearly so 

 massive. There is the main antler with a branch 

 near the top, the outer tine being always the 

 longer, and the frontal tine. 



The record head for this deer is 39! inches round 

 the curve. His Excellency Lord Minto nearly 



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