Cervid.e - 



-MAMMALIA.- 



-Cervid.e. 



175 



winter both sexes collect in vast herds ; but in the 

 Hitting season the stags frequently engage in the most 

 desperate encounters, the struggle of a pair of males 

 occasionally ending in mutual slaughter Sometimes 

 the antlers are inextricably fixed by tlie " tynes," both 

 animals being thus left to perish, as it were, in each 

 other's arms ! 



THE FALLOW DEER ( Cervus dama) is much smaller 

 than the stag, and is the species most commonly seen 

 in the parks of this comitry. In summer the fur is 

 fulvous and spotted with white, but in winter it becomes 

 blaekish-brown ; the rump being always more or less 

 whitish, and banded on either side by dark streaks. 

 The taU is dark above and white underneath. The 

 horns are palmated superiorly ; the flattened expansions 

 being bordered with short " tynes" or dentalations. The 

 fiillow deer is now scattered aU over Europe, but Uiere 

 is reason to believe that it was originally brought from 

 the coast of Barbary. Black and even white varieties 

 are not uncommon. 



THE AXIS {Cervus Axis) is a remarkably elegant 

 and permanently spotted form of deer. It commonly 

 goes by the name of the Spotted Stag-deer. It is an 

 inhabitant of Northern India, but freely breeds in 

 Europe ; and in its native haunts on the borders of the 

 Ganges it is much hunted. On such occasions it often 

 displays considerable resistance, and when brought to 

 bay charges the horsemen with great \-iolence. The 

 Axis stands about two and a half feet at the shoulders ; 

 the fur ha\Tng a fawn coloirr generally, passing into a 

 dark brown on the back, whilst the under parts are 

 quite white. The females are hornless. 



THE BOEBirCK {Capreolus Dorcas) is a native of 

 the temperate parts of Europe, and though not so 

 abundant in tliis country as formerly, is still tolerably 

 plentiful in the wilder parts of Scotland. This species 

 is readily kno-svn by its horns, which divide into tliree 

 short branches or "tjTies" (Plate 21, fig. 70). The 

 Roebuck is monogamous in its habits ; tlie female 

 usually producing two fawns at a birth, her period of 

 gestation being five months. The venison of this deer 

 is of inferior quality. 



With regard to other members of the cervine famih', 

 we can only briefly notice the following : — 



THE MTJNTJAK {Cervus Muntjac), or KiDASG. 

 Tliis is a very uiteresting species, inhabiting Hindostan, 

 Ceylon, Java, and most of the islands of the Indian 

 Archipelago. Tlie distmguishing characteristics of this 

 animal consist m the possession of two large tusk-like 

 canines in the upper jaw, and in the columnar extension 

 of the cranial bones, forming elongated pedestals for the 

 support of the two-pronged horns (fig. 64). The fore- 

 head is likewise marked with three imusual foldings of 

 the skin (fig. G5). In general appearance the Muntjak 

 resembles the last-described species, but, whilst the 

 body is somewhat stouter, the limbs are, on the other 

 hand, more slender; it is also rather larger. Accor- 

 ding to Horsfield, the Muntjak " selects for its resort 

 certain districts, to which it forms a peculiar attach- 

 ment, and which it never voluntarily deserts. Many of 

 these are known as tlie favourite resort of this animal 

 for several generations. They consist of moderately ele- 

 vated grounds, diversified by ridges and valleys, tending 



towards tlie acclivities of the more considerable moun- 

 tains, or approaching the confines of extensive forests." 



Fig. 61 



Skull of the Muntjak. 



The same authority states, that " the Kidang is impa- 

 tient of confinement, and is not fitted for the same 

 degree of domestication as the stag. It is, however, 



Fig. e,s. 



Head of the Muntj.ik. 



occasionally found in the inclosures of natives and 

 Europeans, but requires a considerable range to liv6 



