. ; THE RAT WA DEER 



shoft, conical, branches — sometimes one from the one horn, and two, from 

 the other of the same pair of horns. These branches (so to speak) are 

 never above an inch long — where there is one only, it is thick — ^ where two, 

 they are slender. The second branch or antler is so rarely met with that 

 it ought perhaps to be considered a lusus merely, and as such should be 

 excluded from the specific character of this species : but, as I have one 

 fine specimen in which two basal antlers are developed, and, as Pennant 

 expressly says his Muntjac is trifurcately horned, I think it safest to 

 designate the Rativa as bi-or-trifurcate, and not as positively bi-furcate only. 



Having thus painfully, and I fear, tediously, described the pedestals, 

 horns and frontal fissures, of the Rativa, I shall now proceed to the account 

 of it& manners, haunts, appearance, size, and remaining characters. 



This elegant and lively little animal bears a great resemblance in size, 

 figure, and carriage to the Porcine Deer of the plains of India : but the 

 Rativa is the lighter and more graceful, considerably, of the two. His 

 motions are full of elegance and elasticity, and he stands and even walks 

 upon his toes rather than upon his entire hoofs, as though he disdained to 

 - touch the ground. In a quiescent state his back is much arched; his hind 

 limbs stooped ; his withers lower than his croup ; his neck retracted, and 

 bowed downwards and outwards ; his head carried low ; and his tail close- 

 ly applied to his buttocks. Excite him ; and he will, at once, straighten 

 his back, raise his fore quarters and head, erect his scut, and appear 

 instinct throughout his frame with spirit and agility ! I have seen him, in 

 pure display, as it were, separate his fore and hind legs extremely, and 

 throw his back into a concavity as decided as ever is the convexity of the 

 attitude of rest. The body of the Ratwa is, for a Deer, short and full : the 

 limbs, too, short ; and stout as far as the hocks and knees — below them, 

 exceedingly slight and fine : the hoofs, small and compressed : the false 

 hoofs inconsiderable in size and blunt ; the tail, longish, tapered, cylin- 



