10 i;!)!-:;, ;\iusk and sika. 



retinas of its eyes. The sights of the rifle are also lighted up so that 

 it is easy to take accurate aim. The hriglit light always has the 

 efi'ect of arresting the quarry and rootuig it to the spot, giving ample 

 time to take aim. In this way six or seven roedeer were bagged in 

 a few days. 



Another method, which may be adopted in couutry where, owing 

 to deep snow, the going is bad and stalking impossible, is driving, in 

 company with three other local sportsmen, I enjoyed some very good 

 driving two years ago (Jan. 1912) in the Hsi-wau-tzu district east of 

 Kalgan. The process «'as simple. A likely looking wood would be 

 chosen, and each member of the party would be stationed at some 

 advantageous point outside. Tlie beaters would then go round and 

 commence driving froni the other side of the wood. Always a deer 

 or two ^^■oulll break cover and give one or other of us a chance of 

 bringing it down. 



Up to tlie present two distinct species of roedeer have been describ- 

 ed from Nortli China. The one found in Sliansi, Sliensi and Chihh 

 has been called Cuprci'^his hcdfordi, ha\'ing been described from a 

 specimen from West Shausi, as being slightly larger thair the European 

 fonn. It also has much better horns, which increase in length in 

 the individuals as o)ic works northward. The horns of the North 

 Shansi roedeer approach more nearly to the Thian Shan roe (C. 

 iianshanicus). One pair I measured were 17A inches in length, while 

 I have measured several that have been close on 1 foot, some a little 

 more, some less. The longest -West Shansi horn I Imve measured 

 was 10 inches. The record Tliian Shan roehorn is 18i inches. 



Tlie other Chinese species is one discovered by the writer in 

 Kansu. It was named G. mclanotis, being described as more reddish 

 than C. hciljordi in its summer coat, and having the outer surface of 

 the ear mostly of a clear black colour, which is not the case ui C. 

 hedfordi. 



The largest species of roedeer is ('. jiygdrgiif;, which comes from 

 Siberia. The largest horns come from the Thian Shan. 



Roedeer are common almost anywhere where there is a reason- 

 able amount of cover, and a small human population. They are 

 particularly plentiful in Shcnsi, Nortli and \\^est Stia.nsi, and in some 

 of the wild coimtry north of rekiug. In ]\Ianchuria also they a-re very 

 abundant. 



The females often lune t\Mi young. Tlu' males shed their horns 

 from November to December. The m'w gm'^'th commences in Febru- 

 ary, the velvet, is niblied off l)y the end of i\lay, the rutting season 

 commencing in August 



