1851 .] On the Shou or Tibetan Staff. 391 



The little tail is white, like its disc, a darker mesial line dividing 

 the latter along the culmenal line of the tail. 



The lining of the ears is always white or whitish, and so sometimes 

 are the orbits and lips, but not uniformly. Some of the pale hairs of 

 the body exhibit curious dots of a dark colour at intervals in their 

 length ; not rings but dots merely. The hoofs and muzzle are black, 

 and the horns, pale brown or full brown. 



The females are smaller than the males. Their teats are four. They 

 are less maned than the males, and they lack the conspicuous nigres- 

 cence of the belly in the males ; their abdomen being whitish like 

 most part of the inferior surface. The brown earthy colour of the 

 upper surface is likewise paler in the females. I have above described 

 the general and normal character of the horns ; but the ample assort- 

 ment of specimens before me, whilst it stabilitates beyond question 

 that character, affords several subordinate variations too valuable to 

 be omitted, which are as follow. 



Both the length and thickness of the horns in animals of the same 

 or nearly the same age and size, differ very much ; as much almost as 

 2 to 1. Next may be noted that the spread of the horns is very 

 diverse, being much greater in some than in others ; or rather perhaps 

 I should say that the sideway curvature varies much, and, as it is 

 more or less, so are the tips of the horns brought near together or 

 kept wide apart. Thirdly, the upper brow or bez antler is apt to have 

 its tip reverted downwards and backwards, instead of being turned 

 normally upwards. 



Fourthly, the distance of the two basal antlers from each other is 

 liable to vary considerably, or from two inches to more than four. 

 But, that the greater interval is abnormal is shown, as well by its 

 existing only in one horn of the pair sometimes, as, and at all events, 

 by not characterising the pair generally. These basal snags are never 

 in contact at their bases but very seldom above two inches apart. 

 Comparing the scull of this typical stag (Elaphus) with that of the 

 devious tropical stags of Asia (or, to be more precise, Hippelaphus) 

 we may remark, that in the former the face is longer and the head 

 shorter ; that is, that the molar, intermaxillar, and nasal bones are as 

 much longer as the frontal and parietal bones are shorter. We may 

 secondly remark that in the former the nasals are somewhat arched 



