1861.] 
Literary Intelligence. 
47 
Literary Intelligence. 
The following extract from a letter dated Pekin, 4th November, 
1860, addressed to our Curator by Mr. Swinhoe, will be read with 
interest. 
I am in receipt of your letter of the 22nd August, in which you 
acquaint me of the loss of tire two bucks of Cervus sika. I am 
extremely soiry to hear the news, as it was only by the most uncom- 
mon good luck that I was enabled to procure those I sent you. If 
I am fortunate enough to visit Japan, or to extend my acquaintance 
in that quarter, I may be enabled to procure some more. All the 
Deer I sent you were received from Japan, and consequently Cervus 
sika. Cervus pseudaxis, from Formosa, you have only seen the skull 
of. There are several fine living examples of this Deer at Amoy, but 
I was unable to coax the proprietor to let me have one. The Dutch 
Commissioner at Amoy procured a fawn of this species and forwarded it 
some months ago to Holland, but I have not since heard as to 
whether it arrived safely or not. I think I told you, from Canton, that 
the Eoeluck (Cervus py gar gus) is preserved there in the gardens of a 
Mandarin. They are said to be from inland China, but people are not 
allowed to shoot them. A very fine species of Stag is found here, in 
the parks of the Chinese Emperor’s summer palace. The grounds 
extend up some high hills now covered with snow, and it is here 
where these animals abound. Major Garret, one of the General’s 
A. D. C.’s, has been out several times and shot a few. He has pre- 
served the heads of three of the finest bucks ; two young bucks and 
a doe fell to my share, and these I have carefully skinned. The old 
bucks are indeed noble animals. They stand to the shoulder about 
4 1 feet, are brown on the back with white spots, the back of the 
neck being reddish, and the rump and under tail white. Tire horns 
are so shaped. * * * I think you told me that Cervus Wallichii, 
the Siberian Stag, was noted from North China. If such is the case, 
these are probably of that species. The bucks given to me are, one 
2 years, and one 1 year ; the doe had milk in her teats and was 
evrdently suckling. A pair of gigantic horns were picked up by a 
cartman coolie in some Chinese house ; these had two frontal snags. 
1 must strongly believe them to belong to the Kashmiri Stag ; but 
