i^OfES OlSf THE HOG DEER IN BURMA. 3l3 



The rutting season is April and May. Tame stags sometimes show 

 a tendency to be vicious during this period. In the natural state, how- 

 ever, I do not think they can be very combative, for the simple reason 

 that they do not collect in herds, and thus males have not to fight for 

 the hinds ; and, further, if fights were of frequent occurrence, head 

 with broken points would constantly be met with, whereas it is in my 

 experience unusual to find an imperfect head. 



The hinds, I think, commence to breed during their second year. 

 The period of gestation is from six to seven months ; the young ones 

 are born in the long grass during October and November. There is 

 usually one calf at a birth. I have never heard of twins. In the 

 gardens here the hog deer sometimes drop their young as late as 

 March and April. 



The majority of stags cast their antlers during the months of July 

 and August, though some retain them as late as towards the close of 

 September, and at the present time (20th October) there are three 

 young stags in the gardens here still with their horns on (prongs), 

 while all the old stags are showing from 2" to 4" of their new antlers 

 in velvet. I have met with stags in velvet as late as the first week in 

 March and one stag as late as the 3rd of May. 



Description, — These deer are rather long in the body and low on the 

 legs. The relative shortness of the fore limbs gives them a peculiar 

 appearance, t,e.i they are low in front, the croup is slightly arched, and 

 the hind legs are carried well under the body. The stags have neither 

 mane nor rufl". Hog deer gallop low, and, when running, the tail is 

 invariably erected by a strong muscle, in many animals curling so much 

 as to touch the back. While moving in the open, the head is not 

 carried low, as is the case when moving through cover. 



Colour. — General colour darkish-brown, with a more or less decided 

 yellowish or chestnut tinge, and a faint speckling or mottling through 

 the coat. There is a certain similarity of the coat to that of the ordin- 

 ary Indian mungoose. The under-parts and the legs from the 

 shoulders and thighs down are much darker in colour than those of 

 the upper parts of the body, and are especially marked in old stags. The 

 colour of the hair on the under-surface of the tail, perineum, and 

 inside thighs is white, as also is the hair lining the inside of ears and 

 that of the chin. The colour of the hair covering the face and head is 

 generally slightly paler than that of the body, while that surrounding 



