THE DEER OF INDIA 



THE HOG DEER (Axis porcinus) 



The only place in which I have seen this deer 

 is Assam, where, as in Burmah and in parts of 

 Bengal and the Terai, it is abundant. 



Jerdon's description of it runs thus : " General 

 colour a light chestnut or olive-brown with an eye- 

 spot, the margin of the lips, the tail beneath, limbs 

 within, and abdomen white. In summer many 

 assume a paler and more yellow tint, and get a 

 few white spots ; and the old buck assumes a dark 

 slaty colour. The horns resemble those of a young 

 spotted deer, with both the basal and upper tines 

 very small, the former pointing directly upwards 

 at a very acute angle, and the latter directed back- 

 wards and inwards nearly at a right angle, occasion- 

 ally pointing downwards." 



"Average length of a full-grown buck, 42 to 

 44 inches from muzzle to root of tail ; tail, 8 ; 

 height at shoulder, 27 to 28 inches ; average length 

 of horns, 15 to 16 inches." 



The hog deer is not found in Southern India, 

 but is abundant in the north, and in Bengal. Its 

 habitat is high grass, and it is usually shot from 

 elephants. Unlike most of the deer tribe, this 

 species is not gregarious. 



The horns are shed in spring, and the new ones 

 attain their full growth by the autumn. 



The vernacular names for this deer are 



H industani Para. 



In Nepaul terai Khar-laguna and Sugoria. 

 In parts of Bengal Nuthurini-haran. 



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