MISCELLANEOUS NOTES, 255 



In height this deer is between the swamp and the spotted deer, being about 40 

 inches at the shoulder : its length is slightly under 6 feet — in colour a very dark 

 brown, in old stags considerably darker than the Sambur — in fact in the distance 

 when seen out in the open plains, they look not unlike a large black buck, so 

 dark are they — the hinds are light-coloured, almost the same colour as a female 

 Nilghai. 



During the cold weather the Thaviin frequents the jungles and hills, but 

 about the beginning of April they come do-\vn into the large tracks of Irinc 

 (elephant) grass which ai-e found on the plains. 



My acquaintance with this fine stag only commenced the other day on the 

 open grass plains of the country bordering the Sittang in the Pegu Districts. 

 They are there fairly numerous. The plan for shooting them is to start on 

 elephants as soon as it is light, and go working through the elephant grass 

 until stags are seen in the distance grazing on the edge of the grass ; then 

 get down from your elephant and stalk them. In this way you seldom o-et 

 much nearer than 150 yards, and you must hold very straight, as the stags 

 unless dropped in their tracks go ofP into the grass and you never see them 

 again, and in this way a great number are lost. When the sun gets 

 hot, the herds, which generally consist of about 6 or 8 individuals, retire 

 into the grass to lie up for the day, then working back on your eleiohaut 

 you can put them up, and, if a good shot, bowl them over as they rush away 

 through the high grass ; you will also get running shots at hog- deer, which 

 abound. The herds which I have seen, as I have said, only consist of 

 6 or 8 deer, but I am told that in some parts as many as 50 or 60 are found 

 together. 



In the rains these plains on the banks of the Sittang become an immense 

 sheet of water with patches of grass standing up as islands, and in these the 

 Thdmin and hog-deer take refuge. I am told that then the villagers go out 

 in their boats and cut down the deer with their dahs (swords). 



I see it mentioned in the Asian of 1st April, that a pair of exceedingly rare 

 horns have been found by the In-awaddy column. "They resembled those of 

 the African gnu, and were said to have come from the Mishmi Hills. " These 

 must be the horns of the Takin {Budorcas faxicolor), I should suj)pose, as that 

 strange antelope is found in those parts.* 



Since writing the above I have been able to take some measurements of 

 the Tliamin from some good heads lately shot. 

 Length of horn measured 1234-5678 



round the curve 37" 35" 32*" 33" 33" 34i" 27" 29" 



Span at its broadest part 39^" 37" 29 J" 30" 35" 32-J-" 36" 34" 



Number of points 12 14 9 14 13 10 12 10 



Length of brow antler 11|" 13|" 9" 18^^-" lO^" 12" 12*" 10|' 



* A large pair of these liorns has lately been presented to this Society bij Major Yala , 

 Bur mad. 



