ABOUT SOME DEER. 255 



1 have often noticed the curious noise made by 

 barking-deer when running, alluded to by Colonel 

 Kinloch. The noise resembles that made by a 

 pair of castanets ; I cannot, however, quite agree 

 with him in his theory as to how the noise is 

 produced, though he is more likely to be right 

 than I am. I have heard, on two occasions, a very 

 similar noise made by cheetal when running, and 

 I was always under the impression that the sound 

 was produced in a totally different manner. All 

 the cervidae have immediately above their hoofs 

 small false hoofs, as it were (I am not naturalist 

 enough to give their scientific name). These 

 have the appearance of a hoof divided, each half 

 being some little distance apart. We all know 

 how a horse in trotting ' plays the castanets ;' now 

 my theory is that this noise is produced by these 

 hoofs in deer having grown abnormally long, and 

 so, as the animal is moving quickly, they clash 

 together, producing this peculiar sound. Of 

 course this is only theory, and I offer it in 

 the hopes that some more experienced sportsman 

 and naturalist may be able to evolve something 

 more definite from the suggestion. 



Last of all on my list comes the four-horned 

 antelope,* which, though a true antelope, is only 

 found in jungle which antelope do not frequent, 



* Tetraceros Quadricornis. 



