Across the Roof of the World. 



deer family, distributed over Northern and Central Asia, and is 

 larger than its European example. The buck stands some 

 30 inches at the shoulder, and the coat is of a reddish brown, 

 changing to a lighter shade towards the winter. The horns 

 differ somewhat from the other species of deer in that there is 

 no brow tine, and the average length does not exceed 13 inches. 

 There are six points, three on each horn, but occasionally seven 

 and eight pointers are found. The habitat of roe-deer is amongst 

 the narrow valleys and ravines of the foothills. The latter are 

 covered with pine forest and the ground is strewn with fallen 

 trees, dead leaves, twigs and obstacles of all descriptions, so that 

 it is a work of art moving about without making a most exas- 

 perating noise. Along the bottoms of the ravines a growth of 

 dense bush predominates, with tall grass running up to a height 

 of 4 and 5 feet. There are occasional open grass plots, and on 

 these the " illik " are generally to be found in the early morning. 

 Whilst I was there in the month of August the grass and hemlock 

 were very high, constituting a difficulty to successful stalking, 

 though later in the year one is no longer troubled in this respect, 

 as the sharp frosts cut the herbage and render the field of view 

 less confined and restricted. The animals are not gregarious 

 but are found in small numbers, the bucks sometimes being alone, 

 though on occasions I encountered two together but never saw 

 more than this number. The cry of alarm is a bark, similar to 

 that of the Kakur, or Barking Deer of the Himalayas, and when 

 disturbed they disappear in a succession of bounds, a mode of 

 progression for which their length of leg admirably adapts them. 

 Morning and evening are the best times for their pursuit, as they 

 devote the greater part of the day to resting in the depths of the 

 forest or in some shady glen. 



On the morning of August 24th I started with Nurah soon 

 after 4 o'clock, searching the ground to the east and north-east 

 of^camp. We went part of the way on horseback, and then 

 tying up our mounts in a clump of pines proceeded on foot to a 

 ridge overlooking a small side ravine. There was no doubt 



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