DEER. 191 



just grazing my leg, therefore one should look out for heels 

 as well as horns of a wounded stag. The wounds caused 

 by the latter are supposed never to heal, a superstition of 

 long standing, as according to the old English rhyme : 



From tooth of wolf or tusk of boar there is not much to fear, 

 But bad the smart from horn of hart, 'twill bring thee to thy 

 bier. 



In front of the bungalow at Toonacudavoo a stream 

 ran over a cliff, forming a waterfall some thirty feet high. 

 This was a favourite refuge for sambur when hunted by 

 the wild dogs, which were numerous in the surrounding 

 forests. The base of the cliff, being hollowed out by the 

 action of the water, which also formed a deep pool in front, 

 an admirable stronghold existed, protected in rear by the 

 cliff itself, and in front by the falling water and pool. 

 Here sambur were frequently brought to bay, the event 

 being preceded by much "belling" in the neighbouring 

 covert, the dogs, however, running mute on these occasions. 

 The rifle was only used to protect the deer from its assailants. 

 In the Nizam's dominions the sambur is to be found in 

 most of the wooded districts. They, like other deer, are 

 fond of the flower of the mhowa tree, and flock to the 

 jungles containing it in the month of March, and are to be 

 seen in herds of about a dozen or so, in the Parudi and 

 Pakhal districts. The venison is very like tender beef, the 

 tongue and marrow bones being considered great delicacies. 

 The next animal on the list is the nilghai,* an antelope of 

 semi-bovine build, and about the height of the sambur, but 

 bulkier in make. He is essentially a low country animal, 

 and resorts to the same wooded districts as the sambur, 

 but is easier to stalk than that wary animal. I have- 

 never seen the nilghai in any part of Mysore, but they 



* Portax picta. 



