22 MOSTLY MAMMALS 



sentative in the island of Formosa, which lies just on the 

 northern tropic. Now, this Formosan deer — or Formosan 

 sika, as it is properly called — differs from its northern 

 relatives by retaining its spots more or less distinctly 

 throughout the winter — obviously in correlation with its 

 southern domicile, where perpetual summer reigns. 



But, as being probably descended from northern repre- 

 sentatives of the group, the Formosan sika has not been 

 able to get entirely rid of the change from a spotted to 

 a uniformly coloured coat. On the other hand, the chital, 

 or spotted deer of India, which is essentially a tropical 

 or subtropical form, is just as brilliantly coloured and as 

 fully spotted in winter as in summer. 



Regarding the haunts of the chital, Dr. Blanford, in " The 

 Fauna of British India — Mammals," writes as follows : — 



" The especial habitat of this deer, perhaps the most 

 beautiful in form and coloration of the whole family, is 

 amongst bushes and trees near water and in bamboo jungle. 

 . . . Many of its favourite haunts are in some of the most 

 beautiful wild scenery of the Indian plains and lower hills, 

 on the margins of rippling streams with their banks over- 

 grown by lofty trees, or in the grassy glades that open 

 out amidst the exquisite foliage of bamboo clumps. Spotted 

 deer are thoroughly gregarious, and associate at all times 

 of the year in herds, sometimes of several hundreds. They 

 are less nocturnal than sambar, and may be found feeding 

 for three or four hours after sunrise, and again in the 

 afternoon for an hour or two before sunset. They generally 

 drink between eight and ten o'clock in the morning, the 

 time varying with the season of the year, and repose during 

 the day in deep shade." 



From this account it is clear that the habits and haunts 

 (allowing for the difference between Indian and English 



