NATURALIST IN INDIA, 97 



under parts white, or dirty white. Some are yellowish-white 

 all over the upper parts, with the beUy and inner sides of 

 the thighs white. This variety I have compared with a 

 specimen of the white-bellied musk-deer {Moschus leucogaster, 

 Hodg.),* in the India House Museum, London, and been unable 

 to discern any weU-marked distinction. A brown-black variety 

 is common. Not a few have white spots arranged longi- 

 tudinally on the upper parts ; doubtless these are immature 

 animals, inasmuch as all the males so marked had short teeth. 

 When the nature of the climate and country on the Tibetan 

 slopes of the Himalayas are compared with the dense forests 

 and covers of the Cashmere ranges, it is not to be wondered 

 at that regions differing so much in their climate and vege- 

 table products should to some extent influence the external 

 colouring of the animals. In illustration of this, the raven 

 of Ladakh is larger than the same bird in the torrid heat of 

 the Northern Punjaub ; and yet the most scrupulous critic 

 cannot venture to separate them. The canine tooth of the 

 musk-deer is from 2 to 3 inches in length, and is rudi- 

 mentary in the female. The use of these long canines is not 

 very apparent, considering they are confined to the males. 

 Some assert they are employed in digging up roots of plants. 

 I have seen a wounded musk attempt to use them when 

 caught. The ears of females are often found slit, attributable 

 no doubt to the canines of the male during sexual intercourse. 

 The female gestates six months. Seldom more than one 

 spotted fawn is dropped, which remains only a short time with 

 the parent. The overwhelming avalanche entombs many 

 unwary musk-deer ; and among its enemies is the yellow- 

 throated or white-cheeked marten, which is said to prey 

 on the young of this species and the barking-deer. The 



* Journal As. Soc. Bengal, vol. viii. 

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