DEER. 195 



up to thirty yards ; they have a habit of squatting like a 

 rabbit, and will then let you pass within a few yards with- 

 out moving, often starting up behind, within range, after 

 you have passed on. The venison is much appreciated, and 

 is supposed to be only inferior to that of the mouse deer. 

 The four-horned antelope * resembles the muntjac in size 

 and shape, but is lighter in colour, nor does it frequent 

 such high altitudes. The buck is provided with four 

 horns, the frontal s being less than one inch in length, the 

 posterior ones over four inches. A perfect specimen is 

 very rare, and on the whole they are much scarcer than 

 either the muntjac or chikara. I once got a fair specimen 

 in the Bandipore jungle, in the country towards Gundul- 

 pett. The chikara, f or ravine deer, is found in undulating 

 country, covered with scrub jungle and intersected by 

 ravines and nullahs ; they are graceful little creatures, of a 

 light chesnut colour, with white neck ; both sexes have 

 horns, those of the doe being small and smooth. In open 

 spaces in scrub jungle, collections of droppings will often 

 be observed arranged on the circumference of a circle of 

 about 6ft. in diameter, the shikaris assert that these 

 deposits are formed by chikara, which form up thus heads 

 facing outwards to keep watch on all sides. 



The black buckj is the most beautiful of all antelopes, 

 and affords better sport than any of the other species found 

 in India. He stands over seven hands high, and weighs 

 about six stone. The bucks are very dark brown all over 

 except on the belly, throat, and about the face, which are 

 more or less white. As they get older the coat becomes 

 darker by degrees until they arrive at the age of six years, 

 when it is almost black. 



* Tetraceros quadricornis. f Gazelle Bennetti. 



J Antelope Bezoartica. 



o 2 



