MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 269 
The individual variation of Thamin horns is very extensive, even in beasts of 
the same age shot on the same ground. 
In May 1914 I shot six stags of this species in the Taungwindgyi sub-division 
of the Magwe district. This ground is almost the centre of the Thamin’s habitat, 
and, as such, the stags should have shown the typical horn features as described 
by Mr. Thomas in the above article: namely “the horns are comparatively 
rough and basal snags are always present, commonly 3 to 6 inches long,” also 
** with horns not palmated.” 
The horns of the six stags I shot were as follows:— 
1. Adult but not yet in his prime. Length 31} inches. One small basal 
snag oneach horn. Beam rough. 
2. Probably a year older than No. 1. Length 33 inches. Beam rough and 
dark. Basal snag one inch long on each horn. 
3. Avery big stagin his prime. Length 37? inches. Beam smooth and dark. 
A basal button on each horn. 
4, A very heavy head. Length 36} inches. Beam smooth and very light 
coloured. A basal button on each horn. 
5. An old stag with a very wide head. Length 34} inches. Horns very 
rough and dark, palmated at ends. Small basal snag about 3 inch long on each 
horn. 
6. A stag just reaching his prime. Length 34} inches. Beam smooth and 
medium colour. One small basal snag on each horn, 
In May last year, in the corresponding week, I returned to the ground and 
shot two more stags. 
7. A very fine stag. Moderately smooth light-coloured beam. Length 361 
inches. A small basal snag on right horn, a button on left horn. . 
8. <A very old stag with horns “ going back’. I sent this head to Mr. Old- 
field Thomas hoping that he would find it of interest and worth comment. 
I have heard nothing from him however, and having mislaid my own notes I can 
give no details. 
For the benefit of sportsmen who may be interested, I may mention that the 
** all-round ” measurement (i.e., tip of brow tine to tip of beam along the curve) 
of Nos. 3, 4, and 7 respectively were 553, 503, and 543 inches. 
Tt will be seen that the individual variation is considerable, that no stag has a 
basal snag of more than 1+ inches long, and that one is palmated. 
Mr. Thomas, in describing R. thamin brucei, lays stress on the angle of the 
brow tine to the beam. In my experience a stag’s horns do not have the brow 
tine and the beam in the same line as a rule until the stag is fully adult, and 
as he grows old the beam develops a decided kink forward half-way up; so that 
the horns, when viewed from the side, instead of forming three parts of a circle 
as in stag No. 2 ( photo), show this forward kink, which in an old stag almost 
assumes a right angle. 
Another feature on which Mr. Thomas lays stress in his description of 
R. Thamin Brucei, is the smaller divergence of the beam in the new sub-species. 
This also I have found to increase with the age of the stag. A young stag has 
the horns only slightly divergent, bent up from the pedicle, and forming three 
parts of a circle when viewed from the side. Compare photo of No. 2 with that 
of No. 1. Also compare the two outside heads in the photo of stags Nos. 5, 4, 
3 and 2. The divergence in the older animal is very much the greater. I have 
examined many thamin stags at close range and through glasses, and found this 
to be a certain distinguishing feature between shootable and immature heads. 
An immature beast viewed from the side often appears at first to have a good 
head. Then the continuous curve without the forward kink is noticed, and the 
horns‘seen from the front stand high up from the head but with no spread ;'quite 
unlike the front view of stag No. 7, 
