DEER. 



355 



developed antlers being met with at all times of the year. In Northern India the 

 pairing-season seems, however, to be generally during the winter ; although young 

 fawns may apparently be met with at any season. 



As regards its usual habits, General Kinloch writes that " the chital is a shy 

 and retiring animal, lying quiet in the densest thickets during the heat of the clay, 

 and if disturbed generally attempting to elude observation by concealment, or by 

 trying to sneak quietly away. I have often, when beating for tigers, seen a 

 cunning old stag with his head down silently creeping away through the jungle, 

 sometimes passing almost under the elephants. When on foot, I have known a 



THE INDIAN SPOTTED DEER (^ nat. Size). 



herd come quietly past within two or three yards of me in thick cover, and even 

 at that short distance have had difficulty in getting a shot. It might be supposed 

 that such a brightly-coloured animal would be very conspicuous in the forest, but 

 this is far from being the case ; unless it moves, few beasts are more difficult to 

 see ; the colour of the skin harmonises with the dead leaves and grass, while the 

 white spots are indistinguishable from the little flecks of light caused by the sunshine 

 passing through the leafy branches. Chital generally assemble in herds of from ten 

 to thirty, among which are probably two or three stags, but occasionally herds of 

 hundreds are met with. On being disturbed, and especially on detecting the 

 presence of a beast of prey, the chital utters a sort of shrill bark, and many a time 



