Panolia Eldii

In Upper Burmah, Eld’s deer are scarce, and the only way to obtain them is to drive for them with beaters. In Lower Burmah they are occasionally shot by lamplight, much in the same manner as that described in Colonel Rice’s book; the performance is said to be very interesting. The party (which usually consists of a lamp-bearer, a man with an arrangement of jingling bells and rings on a stick, the sportsman and his gun-carriers) having assembled after dark, a fire is lit, and a kind of incantation gone through, everyone but the speaker being forbidden to utter a word. When the incantation is over, each member of the party passes through the smoke of the fire in turn, the guns are handed through it also, the lamp is then lit, and the party starts, using the lamp, an earthenware pot with a hole in its side, as a search light, while the man with the frame of bells keeps up an incessant jingling. On a deer being discovered, the light is at once turned full on its eyes and kept steadily there, the jingling kept going, with the result that the deer is so dazed that it will often allow the party to go close up to it before the sportsman fires. Both Eld’s deer and sambur may be shot in this way, and the writer has been told that hares, and occasionally deer, will allow themselves to be approached till they can be speared or knocked on the head with sticks. This, of course, is not a very high class of sport, but in many of the coast districts stalking in the jungles is almost impossible.

Measurements

AuthorityHeight at shoulderTotal lengthWeight as shotLength of hornLength of brow antlerGirth above brow antlerGirth above burrGirth of burrGirth of beam midwayRemarks
Rusa Aristotelis
ins.ins.lbs.ins.ins.ins.ins.ins.ins.
Mr A. O. Hume......46½..6⅜......Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Dr. Falconer, British Museum......45⅛..6⅝......”
‘The Field,’ Dec. 22, 1866......45, 44......117½Weight of horns, without skull, 20 lbs.
Sir J. Morris, K.C.S.I.......45..7⅜......Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Maj.-Gen. A. Ellis, C.S.I.......45..7¼......Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Sterndale’s ‘Mammalia’......45, 4318¼..9..7¼Has an abnormal snag 9 ins. long on right horn below the très tine
Sterndale’s ‘Mammalia’5672 to 78..............
British Museum......44½..7......
Col. W. J. Morris......44⅛..7⅞......Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Major Ward53....44..9......‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Mr. J. D. Inverarity......44..........Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
The Earl of Ducie......R 35
L 33		R 14½
L 13		7½......A peculiar head with abnormal snags at the back of each beam. Terminal points: R. 11, L. 12½. Abnormal snags: R. 9¼, L. 13. Girth of snags: R. 5½, L. 7½.
The Maharahjah of Kooch Behar, Letter to ‘The Asian’....717............
C.A.S.W., ‘The Field,’ Oct. 25, 189044..561............
Sir S. Baker, ‘Wild Beasts and their Ways’54..about 600............
Average of good head......38..7......
Axis porcinus
Major Ward quotes a head......21..........‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Mr. A. O. Hume......19¼..3⅛......Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Sir V. Brooke......19⅛..3¼......”
Mr. H. C. V. Hunter......19⅛..3⅜......”
Major FitzHerbert274896............
”....9616¾..........
”25¾..98............
”25½5193............
”2552½9612..........
Major Greenaway28................
”24½................
Sterndale’s ‘Mammalia’27 to 2850 to 52..15 to 16..........
Average of good head......16..........
Axis maculatus
Forsyth, ‘Highlands of Central India’......38..........
Mr. A. O. Hume......37½..4½......Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
”......37⅜..4......”
Sir V. Brooke......37¼..4¼......”
Gen. Macintyre......37..4......‘Hindu Koh’
Mr. W. C. Oswell......36¾..4⅜......Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Mr. C. H. Seeley......36½..4½......”
British Museum......36..4¼......”
Capt. V. Couper......36..........
Major FitzHerbert35¾70¼..32½..........
” (a hind)285886............
Major Greenaway37................
Sterndale’s ‘Mammalia’36 to 3854 to 60..Average 30..........
Average of good head......30..4......

Measurements

AuthorityHeight at shoulderTotal lengthWeight as shotLength of hornLength of brow antlerGirth above brow antlerGirth above burrPointsRemarks
Rucervus Duvaucelli
ins.ins.lbs.ins.ins.ins.ins.ins.
Major C. S. Cumberland......415½....6×6Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
”......39¼5....5×6”
Sir E. G. Loder, Bart.......37⅜5¼....7×6”
Col. Erskineabout 45....37714..7×7
Major Ward......36½5......‘Sportsman’s Guide to Ladak, &c.’
Mr. B. Hodgson......365....6×5Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
Sir V. Brooke......35⅜4⅞......”
Mr. H. C. V. Hunter......35¼5¾....7×6”
Major C. S. Cumberland......34¾5⅝....5×5”
British Museum......345½....5×5Head No. 694 A.
Major C. S. Cumberland......33½4¾....5×5Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
”......33⅛5½....5×5”
Rowland Ward....about 560..........”
Forsyth......33½......6×6‘Highlands of Central India’
Major FitzHerbert4982..30..10⅜....
”4781............
Sterndale’s ‘Mammalia’44 to 46....about 36......12 to 14
Average of good head......305....6×6
Rucervus Schomburgkii
British Museum......30⅛5....10×10Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
”......29⅞5⅛....9×8”
”......29¾4¾....10×11”
”......28¾5½....8×8Head No. 1463 A.
Sir V. Brooke......28½5¼....11×9Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
British Museum......27⅞5⅜....9×8”
”......27¾4⅜....7×8”
Panolia Eldii
Sir E. G. Loder, Bart.......39⅝5....20Rowland Ward, ‘Horn Measurements’
British Museum......38⅞6¼....16×19”
”......37½5⅜....5×5”
Rowland Ward......376⅛10½....”
Mr. A. O. Hume......36⅛5½....4×3”
British Museum......35¾5⅜....4×5”
Hume Collection, British Museum......34⅞5½....6×6”
Mr. A. O. Hume......34⅝6⅛....5×6”
Hon. W. Rothschild......34⅛5....6×6”
Mr. J. Carr Saunders......345⅞....10×10”