JAPANESE SIKA 



51 



Antlers of Japanese Sil<ci. 

 From a specimen presented to the liritish iMuseum by Viscount Puwerscourt. 



JAPANESE SIKA (Cervus sica). 



This species is the typical representative of a small group of deer 

 in which the antlers arc shorter and simpler than is usually the case 

 in the red deer group, and have generally four tines, including" a trez, 

 but lacking a bez. The coat is spotted, at least in summer, and there 

 is a black-bordered white area in the region of the tail, which is rela- 

 tively long. In the Japanese sika the white area on the buttocks is 

 large, and extends on to their lateral surfaces ; while the coat is chestnut 

 red with numerous white spots in suinmer, and browner, with no, or 

 only indistinct traces of, spots in winter. These deer are distributed 

 over Northern China, Manchuria, and Japan, and are represented by two 

 closely allied races differing chiefly in size. In the true Japanese 

 sika {C. sica typicns), which inhabits Japan and Northern China, the 

 height at the shoulder varies from about 2 feet 8 inches to 2 feet 10 

 inches, whereas in the Manchurian sika [C. sica inanchuricits) it reaches 



