File:Brehm's Life of animals - a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools (1895) (20225341258).jpg

Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim00breh (find matches)
Year: 1895 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; PechuLoesche, Eduard, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
530 THE CLOVEN-HOOFED ANIMALS. seen in small families of six or seven, for which the older females act as sentinels. The gait of these animals is a swing- ing, easy trot, or, when pursued, a clumsy gallop. They are not difficult to hunt, but their principal utility is for their skin and antlers. The flesh is coarse and the fat is excessively hard, and the meat is not held in great esteem. THE AXIS DEER. Among the Deer of India we must first mention the Axis, called by the Hindus, Chital, and by the English, the Spotted Deer (Axis axis). It rep- resents a distinct sub-genus, and attains a length of body of from fifty-four to sixty inches, the height at the shoulders being only from thirty-six to thirty- eight inches. So far as color is concerned it may be called one of the handsomest, if not the handsomest, plentiful and collects in great herds, which graze in the open places during the night, and seek the shade of the forest in the day. The Axis is the object of persistent pursuit by the natives and by Englishmen; this continual pursuit may be the reason why it is as shy as the common Deer in localities where experi- ence has familiarized it with being hunted. A cap- tive Axis soon becomes entirely docile, however. It was introduced into England many years ago and it thrives excellently in the mild English climate. THE RUSINE GROUP. Most other Deer of India bear a peculiar stamp, which distinguishes them from their European or American relatives, but can better be appreciated on
Text Appearing After Image:
isons, is distinctly spotted. The antlers of all Deer. An attractive grayish fawn hue is the ground color; the stripe on the back appears very dark, nearly black on the withers; the throat, abdo- men and inner faces of the limbs are yellowish white, the outer surface of the limbs yellowish- brown. Seven rows of white, rather irregularly placed spots, conspicuously adorn each side. Range and Pecul- The Axis is a native of all India, iarities of the with the exception of the Punjab, Axis. anc) 0f t)le country east of it to Cochin China and is also found in the island of Cey- lon. The animal inhabits the level as well as the hilly country and is found at the foot of the Hima- layas and in the Sundarbans, in stately forests as well as in the jungle, but generally near water. Wherever the surroundings are to its taste, it is quite personal inspection than described. In general one may say that these Indian Deer, which form the sub- genus Rusa, are of more or less compact organiza- tion, with stout limbs, short head and neck, but with a proportionately long tail, and are thinly covered with coarse, brittle hair. Only the males have horns and the horns have, as a rule, no more than six spurs. In my opinion the Sambhar (Rusa aristotelis), which was described by Aristotle under the name of "Hip- pelaphus" in a manner leaving no doubt as to its identity, may be designated as the stateliest and noblest Deer of this group. The Great Rusa— The Great Rusa (Rasa hippelaphus) Its Physical Propor- is little inferior to the Stag and tions, Range, etc. Sambhar in size,and measures fully six feet eight inches, twelve inches of which are in-

Note About Images