346 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



rarity in Mysore, whilst in the Bikanir Desert they are fre- 

 quently obtained 24 ins., and occasionally 27 ins. or more, in 

 length. 



A black buck in his best coat is a very handsome animal, 

 but is too well known to require description. 



The buck usually changes his coat after the rutting season, 

 which is in the spring, the season varying slightly according to 

 locality. During the hot months he is generally more or less 

 brown, regaining the black coat after the rainy season. Many 

 full-grown bucks with good heads do not seem to turn black 



Tame decoys 



at all, but the master buck of a herd is almost invariably black 

 at the proper season. 



Major FitzHerbert (a very careful observer of the habits of 

 wild animals) is of opinion that it is usually the master buck 

 of the herd who turns brown in the hot weather ; he is then 

 used up, and often leaves the herd to the possession of a 

 younger buck, who has remained black. 



The herds, though more frequently consisting of ten or 

 a dozen animals, are occasionally of immense size indeed 

 thousands are mentioned by some authorities. Antelope in 



