64 NATURAL HISTORY, 



the body lengthy. The body-colour is a light red-brown all over. There is no tuft of hair on 

 the head as in the Muntjacs, to which by some it might be imagined to be allied. From Mr. 

 Swinhoe's account of the species we learn that " In the large riverine islands of the Yangtsze, 

 above Chinkiang, these animals occur in large numbers, living among the tall rushes that 

 are there grown for thatching and other purposes. The rushes are cut down in the spring; and 

 the Deer then swim away to the main shore and retire to the cover of the hills. . . . For- 

 tunately for the Deer, the Chinese have an extraordinary dislike for their flesh. I could not ascer- 

 tain why ; but it must be from some strange superstition, as the Celestials are otherwise pretty 

 omnivorous. The Deer are killed only for the European markets [of Shanghai], and sold at a low 



price. Their venison is coarse, and without much taste The Chinese at Shanghai call 



this animal the Ke, but at Chinkiang they are named Chang the classical term for the Muntjac." 



CHINESE WATER DEER. 



THE CHINESE ELAPHURE* 



This most interesting Deer was discovered in 1865 by the indefatigable French naturalist, M. 

 Armand David. In his account of the animal, Dr. Sclater f tells us that M. David first observed 

 it whilst looking over the wall of the Imperial Hunting-park at Pekin, to which no European is 

 allowed admission. There it is found in a semi-domesticated state, its native place probably being 

 Eastern Mantchuria. In 1869, Sir Rutherford Alcock succeeded in sending a living pair to 

 England, which were exhibited for some time in the London Zoological Gardens, and from which 

 much information has been obtained with reference to their habits. It resembles the Swamp Deer of 

 India (Rucervus Duvaucelli) in its proportions and size, standing nearly four feet at the shoulder. 

 The legs are somewhat heavy and the feet expanded, but it is in its antlers that the Elaphure is quite 

 different from any other Deer. They are represented in the accompanying engraving, from which 

 the abrupt ascent of the beam, with an enormous back-tyne arising from the lower end, and no 

 brow-tyne, may be most clearly seen. The beam branches higher up, but its furcations follow none 

 of the ordinary rules of cervine antler-growth. 



The body-colour of the animal is light and rufous, paler on the under parts. A black 

 line runs some way down the back, being most conspicuous at the shoulders. The tail is not 

 longer than in the Fallow Deer, and is hairy at the tip. Mr. Swinhoe tells us that the Chinese 

 name is Sze-poo-seang, which signifies " like none of the four " to wit, the Horse, the Cow, the Deer, 

 or the Goat. 



* Elaphurus Davidianus. t Transactions of the Zoological Society, Vol. VII. p. 333. 



