132 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



and watchful. It feeds on leaves for the most part, but is credited 

 by natives with a fondness for snakes. 



BED BROCKET. The Red Brocket (Fig. 103) is a South American 

 animal, which, like its relatives included in the same group, is 

 distinguished by its unbranched spike-like antlers. It is also 

 noticeable for the hair on the middle portion of the face "radiating 

 in all directions from two points, one of which is situated on the 

 crown of the head, and the other just below the eyes." A consider- 

 able part of the muzzle is naked; the tail is not of great length; 

 the fawns have spotted coats, whilst the adults are uniform reddish- 

 brown. 



The Red Brocket comes from North-Eastern Brazil and Guiana ; 

 it is not a particularly attractive-looking animal, but is interesting 

 in many ways, not the least of which is its habit of probably pairing 

 for life. It is not at all gregarious, being found either alone or 

 in pairs. 



The young one is born in December or January, and in a few 

 days after birth it is able to follow its parents. 



INDIAN CHEVI^OTAIN, OR MOUSE DEER. The last representative 

 with which we are now concerned is the Indian Chevrotain, or 

 Mouse Deer (Fig. 104), which, as its first name implies, is a resident 

 of India. 



There are two genera of Chevrotains, one being Asiatic and 

 the second African. The species illustrated in Fig. 104 is, of 

 course, one of the Asiatic kinds, and although closely related to 

 the Deer, the Chevrotains are placed in a separate group between 

 them and the Camels. That they are small Deer-like animals 

 cannot be gainsaid, but external appearances often count for nothing 

 in the world of science. Hence we find that internally the 

 Chevrotains differ from the Deer and are rightly relegated to a 

 family of their own. 



These Asiatic Chevrotains are almost the smallest living Ungu- 

 lates. The Indian species is different in dress from its four Asiatic 

 relatives, for it has the body spotted with white and the chin and 

 throat are uniformly covered with hair. The upper parts are brown 

 with small yellow specks. 



It stands only about one foot high at the withers, and weighs 

 about five and a half pounds. The range is Southern India and 

 Ceylon, grass or jungle being the environment frequented. It 

 appears to be largely nocturnal in habits, feeding either during 



