Altai Wapiti 105 



Cervus maral, var. asiatica, Severtzoff, Turkestan Jevotnie, p. 109 (1873), 

 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. t.c. p. 386. 



Cervus eustephanns, Blanford, Proc. Zoo I. Soc. 1875, p. 637, Scient. Results 

 Second Tarkand Mission — Mamm. p. 90 (1879) ; Brooke, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878, 

 p. 912; W. L. Sclater, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. part ii. p. 184 (1891) ; 

 Ward, Records of Big Game, p. 42 (1896). 



Cervus canadensis eustephanns, Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, P- 447- 



Plate VI 



Characters. — Although generally like the East American wapiti, this 

 sub-species may readily be distinguished by its inferior stature, relatively 

 longer body and still shorter legs, and absolutely larger antlers ; being, in 

 respect to the development of the latter, decidedly the finest member of the 

 group. Indeed, in this point it may be compared to the barren-ground 

 reindeer, which, although a smaller animal than the woodland race, has 

 larger antlers. The colour of the pelage of the upper-parts is yellowish 

 tawny at all seasons, with no tinge of red. 



Distribution. — The Altai and Thian-Shan Mountains, which form the 

 forest districts to the west of the Mongolian desert. 



History. — The name C. eustephanus was applied by Mr. Blanford to certain 

 shed antlers purchased by the members of the Second Yarkand Mission in 

 Kashgar, and stated to come from the forests of the Thian-Shan. A pair 

 of these antlers (the types) are preserved in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, 

 and there are three single specimens in the British Museum, two of which 

 belonged to adults, and the third to an immature animal. Of the Calcutta 

 specimens, Mr. Blanford writes that " they have apparently been shed, 

 and they probably belonged to different animals. They are of large size, 

 each measuring 5 1 inches along the curve ; one is 1 0.9, the other 1 0.5 inches 

 in circumference at the base, just above the burr. Each shows seven well- 

 formed tines, so that the animal must have had fourteen points. The beam 

 is very much curved, and, so far as it is possible to judge from the form of 

 the burr, the horns must bend somewhat towards each other at the tips and 

 branch less apart than in most stags. The brow-antler and bez are close 

 together, the former slightly exceeds the latter in length, and the bez 

 (second) is rather larger than the royal (third). The greatest peculiarity 

 of the horns, however, is in the form of the crown. Above the royal the 



p 



