404 



Description of a new Deer. 



Jenkins and Pemberton in 1832 ; the second by Lieut, 

 Gordon the following year, attended by the Rajah of Money- 

 pore himself, when, notwithstanding the personal influence 

 of the Rajah, the protection of a military force was necessary, 

 as well as recourse to fire arms. 



Of the wild animals, Capt. Pemberton mentions, herds of 

 elephants are constantly seen in the glens and defiles on the 

 north of the Moneypore valley. Deer, he says, abound in 

 every part of the country, and grow to a very considerable 

 size. He does not specify the varieties, but some of the deer 

 alluded to, were doubtless the species now about to be des- 

 cribed. The wild hog, he says, is no less abundant, and its 

 ravages in the fields are sometimes so great, that the villagers 

 are compelled to go out in a body against them; and when 

 ponies were more numerous, the pursuit of the deer and hog 

 ranked amongst the most favourite sport of the Money- 

 porees. 



Having now at length arrived at the proper subject of 

 this communication, it may be commenced by stating, that 

 in 1839, I received from Capt. C. S. Guthrie, a specimen of 

 the horns of a young deer of the Rusa group, with a re- 

 quest to notice the peculiarity which seemed to indicate a 

 new species. The specimen was deposited in the Museum 

 of the Asiatic Society, in which I happened then to be in- 

 terested. 



In the fourth number of the Calcutta Journal of Natural 

 History, p. 501, the peculiarity referred to by Capt. Guthrie, 

 was pointed out and figured, pi. xii. vol. 1, and further en- 

 quiry was there strongly recommended. Capt. Eld, one of the 

 Principal Assistants to the Commissioner of Assam, and who 

 had been previously attached to the British Residency in 

 Moneypore, having had his attention called to the notice 

 and the figure alluded to, soon after addressed an interest- 

 ing letter on the subject to one of the contributors to this 

 work, affording the first general information hitherto receiv- 



