764 LIEUT. R. C. BEAVAN ON THE PANOLIA DEER. [JunC 27, 



spots, and the herds are altogether more scattered, owing to the in- 

 creased density of the vegetation. 



They feed both during the day and night, chiefly in early morning 

 and evening. Their food consists principally of jungle-paddy ; during 

 the night they do a great deal of damage to the cultivated variety, 

 treading down more than they eat. They also feed on grass, and 

 the leaves of two jungle-trees called in Burmese the " keay" and 

 the " thameh,'^ the scientific appellations of which I am unable to 

 resolve. In a tamed state they will eat plantain-leaves. 



The call of the female uttered when disturbed is a short barking 

 grunt, that of the males is louder and more prolonged. It is most 

 frequently heard in the rutting-season, during which period the males 

 have frequent and severe battles. A pair have been known to have 

 been captured whilst so engaged with their antlers interlocked. 



About the end of January the first jungle-fire sweeps over the 

 plain and destroys the dry herbage, leaving small patches here and 

 there about the edges of swamps. The second burning takes place 

 about the end of March, and leaves scarcely a blade of grass behind 

 it ; the plain is then almost entirely bare, and the deer, having no 

 cover, congregate in large herds. They are then to be seen on all 

 sides, and, the Buffaloes having previously been withdrawn to the 

 tree-jungle, are left alone in their glory, and, as noticed before by 

 Colonel Blake, become at this time excessively wary. From the 

 middle of February until the first showers fall at the end of April 

 they apparently subsist without water ; they lie in the salt-swamps 

 during this period, and get the benefit of heavy dews at niglit. 



Their only enemy appears to be man ; but an epidemic occasion- 

 ally breaks out amongst them and destroys large numbers. The 

 last occurred in 1863, and some fifty or sixty head fell victims. The 

 cause of this murrain is unknown ; it is probably analogous to that 

 which yearly in Burniah, during the rains, causes such havoc amongst 

 domestic cattle. The Burmese readily eat the diseased flesh, and 

 experience no bad effects from doing so. The disease attacks old 

 and young alike, apparently, causes great emaciation and loss of 

 strength, and the animal at last dies of pure weakness. It will pro- 

 bably be found to be some swelling or affection of the throat and 

 lungs which prevents the animal from eating. 



There seems to be no doubt that in Burmah this species is gra- 

 dually decreasing, and will at no distant date be excessively rare. 

 This can be accounted for by the gradual but steady increase in the 

 population, and the greater area of country (which must naturally 

 increase yearly) which is taken up for the cultivation of rice. Un- 

 fortunately for the Thamyn, the whole of their favourite locale is 

 excessively well adapted to the cultivation of rice ; and there is no 

 doubt that where the indigenous wild plant is found there also the 

 cultivated variety will flourish. The rice-trade of Burmah is yearly 

 increasing in extent ; and a few years bid fair to see the present 

 haunts of the Thamyn not unlike the present state of the greater 

 portion of the rice-producing plains of Lower Bengal. 



An intelligent Burmese shikarry, who has been a hunter from his 



