558 UNGULATA. 



herds. It lies in the long jungle-grass during the heat of the day, and 

 at nightfall begins to browse. It is very fond of water, drinking fre- 

 quently. It runs with great swiftness and endurance, but interrupts its 

 extended gallop by frequent short leaps or bounds. When walking, its 

 pace is stately, like the so-called Spanish pace sometimes taught in the 

 riding-school. It lifts its foot carefully, stretches it out before it and 

 sets it gracefully down, accompanying each step with a corresponding 

 movement of the head. 



The chase of this deer is a favorite amusement of the Javanese 

 princes, who use only sword and spear to kill it, or running nooses to 

 capture it alive. 



THE HOG-DEER. 



The Hog-Deer, Cervus hyelaphus, is the representative of a sub- 

 genus Hyelaphus, and is one of the clumsiest-built species. Its body is 

 thick, the legs, neck, and head short ; the antlers are short, thin, and 

 three-pronged, and stand wide apart. The usual color is a beautiful 

 coffee-brown, darkening in the male to deep black-brown. In all the 

 Hog-deer some traces of dappled marks can be discovered, but in the 

 young these spots are larger and clearer. In Bengal it is often hunted 

 on horseback, and killed by the stroke of a sword. The venison is said 

 to be excellent. 



SOUTH AMERICAN DEER. 



South America is the home of a species of deer which is by some 

 naturalists regarded as the type of a genus Blastoceros, which is charac- 

 terized by upright horns with three or five prongs. 



The Pampas Deer, Cervus campertris, is the best known variety. It 

 attains a length of four feet and a half, and a height of about three feet. 

 Its coat is thick, rough, and shining, of a reddish-brown color on the 

 back, but gray on the abdomen ; the tip of the tail is pure white, and a 

 white ring surrounds the eye, and white spots mark the upper lip. 



The greater part of South America is the home of this very common 

 deer. It loves open and dry plains, and even when chased, avoids 

 swamps and woodlands. Its senses are very acute, and its movements 

 active, so that if it has a start, the best horse cannot overtake it. By 

 day it hides itself in the long grass, and lies so still that one may ride 



