Sterndale remarks that the inflated nostrils ‘are so much lengthened as to necessitate the animal’s walking backwards when it feeds.’ The fortunate sportsman who comes across this rare variety should therefore remember to post himself astern of a herd should he wish it to feed up to him—though he may possibly find that nature has provided the animal with means of twitching its nose out of the way to obviate so uncomfortable a method of grazing.

Gazella gutturosa

This is another little known variety. It is found in Mongolia, and is the one Ward refers to as the ‘hwang yang, or yellow goat.’ There is a stuffed specimen in the British Museum, which stands 31 ins. at the shoulder, is of a pale yellowish white, with coarse hairs, and has horns 10½ ins. in length, of the regular gazelle type in shape and ribbing, much resembling those of the Gazella picticaudata.

Gazella subgutturosa

is a much smaller beast than the last. It is found in Persia,[24] and extends to Yarkand, where a specimen was shot by Major Biddulph when with the Yarkand Mission, between Maral Bashi and Kashgar. It is called by the natives ‘djêrân,’ or ‘jairan.’ Its general colour is pale red, with dark facial marks, a dark band along the side where the white of the belly joins the red of the back, and above it a curious pale streak. The buck has long, annulated, lyrate horns, with the tips inclining inwards. It measures 27½ ins. in height, and the horns of a specimen quoted in the ‘Scientific Results, Second Yarkand Mission,’ measured 14 ins. in length by 5 ins. in girth. There is a coloured plate of one in the same publication.

Major Cumberland, in his journal published by ‘Land and Water,’ mentions hawking these gazelles with trained eagles. He says that the doe is not much bigger than Gazella Bennetti, with short stumpy horns.

XLVI. THE THIBETAN GAZELLE (Gazella picticaudata, Procapra picticaudata—Ward)

Thibetan ‘Goa’

This lovely little animal is of a creamy fawn colour in its winter coat. It has a white anal disc of longish hair, and a black tail about four inches long, which, like the Indian gazelle, it keeps perpetually wagging. The summer coat is slaty grey. The horns are like those of the Indian gazelle, but are longer, of finer grain, and have a far bolder sweep backwards before turning up at the tips. The female has no horns. It frequents the high plateaux along the Chinese frontier, in Eastern Ladak, in the neighbourhood of the Tsomoriri Lake, but apparently does not extend north of the Indus, as far as Ladak is concerned, its limits in Chinese Thibet being at present unknown.

Measurements

Goa do not appear to lie down much in the middle of the day, and in May and June, at all events, are constantly on the move. They appear to resort to particular spots for dropping their dung, and little heaps of it may be noticed wherever goa are at all plentiful.

As they are generally found on the grass flats that fringe the streams, or on some almost level plateau, stalking them is by no means easy, though they are not generally very shy, will occasionally allow considerable liberties to be taken in approaching them, and will stop to look after a fallen companion. The Tartars say that they can be stalked down wind, but they say this also of the Thibetan antelope, and Major Ward’s advice on this point is sound: ‘Believe it, reader, if you like, but do not try it often.’

XLVII. INDIAN ANTELOPE (Antilope Bezoartica)

Generally ‘Heran,’ or ‘Mirug,’ from the Sanscrit ‘Mirga’

This is the well-known black buck, which is found all over India at intervals from the extreme south to as far north as the Jhelum, following the southern bank of that river till (joined by the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej) it flows into the Indus, which then becomes the black buck’s northern boundary. Essentially a plains-loving animal, it avoids hills and heavy forest, but is often found in the long grass which covers the islands and banks of many of the large rivers. Though considerable tracts of apparently suitable country do not seem to hold a single herd, special districts where antelope are always to be found seem to crop up unexpectedly all over India. In the North-West Provinces, and along the borders of the Bikanir Desert between Rajpootana and the Punjab, it appears to be more generally plentiful than in the rest of India, and the horns in these districts grow longer. Sanderson says, in ‘Thirteen Years among the Wild Beasts of India,’ that an 18-in. horn is a decided rarity in Mysore, whilst in the Bikanir Desert they are frequently obtained 24 ins., and occasionally 27 ins. or more, in length.

A black buck in his best coat is a very handsome animal, but is too well known to require description.

The buck usually changes his coat after the rutting season, which is in the spring, the season varying slightly according to locality. During the hot months he is generally more or less brown, regaining the black coat after the rainy season. Many full-grown bucks with good heads do not seem to turn black at all, but the master buck of a herd is almost invariably black at the proper season.

Major FitzHerbert (a very careful observer of the habits of wild animals) is of opinion that it is usually the master buck of the herd who turns brown in the hot weather; he is then used up, and often leaves the herd to the possession of a younger buck, who has remained black.

The herds, though more frequently consisting of ten or a dozen animals, are occasionally of immense size—indeed thousands are mentioned by some authorities. Antelope in herds are, as a rule, fairly easy to get within shot of; but a solitary old black buck takes precious good care of himself, and as there is rarely cover enough to stalk him without being seen, these wary old gentlemen generally escape. The natives have many methods of hunting antelope. Pursuing them with trained chitas has been so often described that any detailed account of it is unnecessary. It is interesting to see once, the chita’s speed being so amazing, but considered as sport it is poor fun. Black buck are occasionally snared by sending tame bucks among them with nooses attached to their horns. The wild buck attacks the intruder, and gets caught by the horn. This plan is also adopted for snaring ravine deer, but not often, as the gazelle is said to be harder to train than the black buck. The commonest way of snaring antelope is by covering about an acre of ground thickly with nooses and driving a herd over it. Trained bullocks are often used by native shikaris to enable them to get within the close range they love for a shot; and the writer has seen the following curious method practised in Central India. A trained buck and doe are taken out, each having a light cord about ten yards long attached to it, and the pair are led by an attendant, a light screen about three feet square made of grass and leaves with a small hole in the centre being carried by the shikari, and the whole party moves under cover of a third man on horseback to within about three hundred yards of a herd of antelope. The screen is then planted on a spot commanding a good view; the men on foot crouch behind it, and the horseman rides slowly off to a flank. The tame deer are then let out to the full extent of their lines on one side of the screen, and begin playing round one another. The master buck of the herd, seeing an impertinent intruder on his ground, trots out at once to do battle for the doe, but the screen puzzles him, so before coming close he generally circles round to try and see behind it. As he moves the screen is shifted round, the men scrambling round on hands and knees behind it, and if there are two Englishmen bursting with suppressed laughter in addition to the two natives, all scuffling round as the screen moves and trying to keep their legs out of sight, the business is most comical.

Directly the wild buck stops, the screen and the men behind it must remain motionless. Having failed to discover what is behind the screen, the buck, though he is still suspicious, probably because he caught sight of a clumsy English leg, feels that he must try to capture that enticing doe, but decides on having a look from the other side of the screen first, so back he gallops to the other flank, and the scrambling process is repeated. Gradually he comes within range, the rifle is poked through the hole in the screen and he gets his quietus; after this the tame deer are given a handful of corn, and the party sets out to look for another herd. The tame buck employed in this manœuvre should be a brown one, as if an old powerful-looking black one is used the wild buck will often decline the contest.

In some districts the antelope are so wild that sportsmen have to approach them under cover of bullock-carts, and occasionally dress up as natives to get within range. The antelope are accustomed to see carts and natives, and will generally allow them to pass within about a hundred and fifty yards, while the sight of a European will start them off at once; but in most places in Central and Northern India these accessories are not needed. The pleasantest way of shooting is to ride a quiet horse, which will do for stalking if the antelope are wild or for riding down a wounded buck, taking a few coolies with you to carry game, luncheon, guns and cartridges.

A shot-gun enables one to vary the bag pleasantly with small game, without interfering with the chance of getting antelope. If the sportsman is fond of coursing, greyhounds may be taken, the Rampore breed suiting the country best; but after many trials the writer has become unwillingly convinced that dogs do more harm than good. If there are any crops about they soon get unsighted, get on to fresh deer, and disturb the whole country.

On the other hand, if the sportsman has dogs he can often enjoy a course after a fox or a hare to vary the entertainment, and a good course with a wounded buck is a very pretty sight. The usual proceeding is as follows: The sportsman rides till a herd is sighted; he approaches them as far as he thinks safe, probably within about six hundred yards; he then dismounts, and if he is going to use his horse for stalking, goes on with the horse and groom, leaving the coolies and dogs behind, with orders to follow him slowly, keeping as far back as possible without losing sight of him. If the antelope are feeding or moving slowly, the sportsman directs his course so as to cross their path about a hundred yards ahead of them. If the creatures are lying down or stationary, he must try to pass within a hundred yards of the flank which is to the leeward of the herd, walking on the far side of his horse, which is led by the groom on the same side. If he has no horse with him, he should hold his rifle so that the sun does not shine on the barrels. If two sportsmen are working together (a most killing plan with crafty men who play into one another’s hands), they should each take a flank and go rather wider than they would if hunting single-handed, so as to keep the herd between them. As long as that can be managed one or other of the guns is sure to get a chance at the best buck. The sportsman should show himself to the herd a long way off, and walk slowly, without any attempt at concealment; he must remember never to walk straight at them, but always as if he were going to pass them at about a hundred yards; if he finds he is lying too far out of his course, he should edge quietly towards them without turning, and he should never stop until he means to fire. He should never look direct at the herd; quiet side glances will give him all the information he requires.

When he has approached to within two hundred yards, if the herd is lying down some of the does will get up; but the sportsman can go on safely till the buck he wants begins to stir. The old fellow will rise leisurely, stretch himself, and then turn to gaze. This is the time for the shot, and if it can be taken without sitting down or kneeling it is far more likely to be an easy one. An excellent rest[25] for firing standing can be made with a light bamboo having an iron crutch covered with leather on the top to hold the rifle barrels. The crutch should be the exact height of the top of the sportsman’s shoulder, and is held, when firing, with the left hand at arm’s length. The bottom of the stick should be shod, to prevent it wearing away when used as a walking-stick. The advantages of using this rest are particularly noticeable when shooting among low bushes, which so often interfere with a shot when sitting or kneeling.

Frequently, just before the sportsman can get a fair chance at the buck he wants, the herd begins to move off; two or three does commence bucking high in the air, and to a novice it would appear that the whole herd are on the point of galloping away. This, however, by no means follows. The master buck often takes very little notice of their pranks, and follows slowly after them, in which case the does calm down, and though still continuing to move, will lead on slowly. The sportsman should follow them quietly, still keeping on their flanks, and heading so as to cut them off, if possible; sooner or later he will get a chance if he sticks to them quietly, though if he has followed them for some distance he will probably only get a running shot. Each herd has its own district as a rule, and sooner than be forced far over its boundary, it will turn and gallop back past the sportsman, often within fifty yards. This is even more noticeable with ravine deer, whose herd districts appear to be smaller than those of antelope, and who generally require a lot of following up and bullying before they give a chance. A good buck with a herd of either antelope or of ravine deer need never be given up as hopeless as long as it can be followed. In following a wounded buck the main point is just to keep it in sight without pressing it until it lies down, when it should be left for about half an hour before being restalked. If it is intended to ride, or course the buck, the attendants should be signalled up at once, as the half-hour’s rest will spoil the run, but the sportsman should be careful that the dogs are not slipped till the buck is well clear of the herd. The best way is for the sportsman to have the dogs brought up to him, then ride ahead, the slipper running after him with the dogs in leash till the buck begins to gallop; then have the dogs slipped and ride the buck, halloaing on the dogs till they are fairly laid on. If he has no dogs he will be able to get within three hundred yards of the buck before the latter really starts, and then he must send him along; after about half a mile he will find that he can get within twenty yards, but no nearer. A few hundred yards farther the buck will begin to falter and then suddenly throw himself down, and the sportsman can either spear him or dismount and knife him—the buck has run himself out. With Express rifles, unless a buck is hit in the leg, he will give no run at all; with a body wound he can’t gallop any distance, though he may give trouble if pursued on foot. The bucking bounds which antelope make are very peculiar (no wounded animal ever bucks). The distance covered may be only a few feet, the animal jumping apparently to get a good view, but when the deer are galloping, the distance covered in a bound, apparently made without effort, is extraordinary. Major FitzHerbert paced three successive bounds of a doe on softish sand; two measured eight yards and the third seven yards.

A buck slightly wounded in the leg will occasionally give a grand run. In 1875 Major FitzHerbert shot a buck through the hock without breaking the bone. Mounted on a fast Arab, he rode this buck for a mile and a half without being able to get up to him, as the buck led over a succession of gram fields where he was able to keep along the narrow headlands while the horse had to plough through the clods. Finding that he was, if anything, losing ground, the rider pulled up, and the buck stopped and lay down in a patch of grass. The attendants then came up with a couple of deerhounds, which were slipped at the buck with a good start, but could not run into him till he had gone another mile and a quarter, and only then caught the buck when he dislocated his wounded hock.

In 1876 the same sportsman had another brilliant gallop on the same horse after a buck wounded in the fleshy part of the thigh. A brace of dogs were slipped, but got away on to other deer early in the run, and the buck was ridden till he dropped and was despatched with a knife. This run was measured about five miles on the map from point to point, and must have been seven or eight miles as the buck went. Cases have been reported of unwounded black buck being run down by dogs in the Bombay Presidency, but in Northern India, though the writer knows of two instances of unwounded does being successfully coursed (one of these at all events was not in young, as it was examined by a medical officer to decide a bet), the bucks could always gallop away from the dogs.

The biggest bag of black buck the writer knows of was sixty-four bucks in 1883, by two guns in five days and a half. Of these, ten bucks, whose horns were all over 22 in. in length, were shot by one of the sportsmen in a morning’s work. The biggest mixed bag by one gun in a day was two nylghai, five ravine deer, and three black buck in 1875.

Black buck in their wild state are very pugnacious, and when two bucks are fighting they may often be approached without difficulty. I once walked up to within eighty yards of two who were desperately hard at it; sat down and watched the fight till they stood with their horns locked, and then shot the blacker buck of the pair through the lungs. He threw up his head and bolted, pursued by his antagonist, a brown buck with good horns, who seemed to have had rather the best of the battle while it lasted. They ran about one hundred yards, the brown buck driving and horning the other till the latter dropped dead; then, after making two or three attacks on the prostrate body, the brown buck began to swagger round it, head and tail in the air, as proud as could be. By this time I had again got well within range, and as the brown buck now apparently saw me for the first time (not having taking any notice of the shot), I dropped him with another bullet so that he fell over the carcase of his late rival.

Writing of the height that antelope can jump, Williamson mentions a black buck leading a herd over a net which was propped up on poles 13 ft. long, and which must have been at least 11 ft. high.

XLVIII. THE NYLGHAO (Portax pictus)

Native names: ‘Nilghao,’ ‘Lilghao’; in the Punjab, ‘Roz’

This animal is found pretty nearly all over the plains of India. Jerdon says it is not known in the extreme south of India, but Sanderson mentions it as occurring in the Madras Presidency on the borders of Mysore. According to my own experience, it is most plentiful in Central India, though it is common enough in the North-West Provinces.

An old male, usually called a blue bull, is a large beast with a lean head, surmounted by short cow-like horns, but with a curious rib along the base of the horn in front; the neck is long and carried high; the withers are high, and give him a horse-like appearance, but he falls away towards the hind-quarters; the tail is like a cow’s, with a tuft at the end, but only reaches to the hocks. His general colour is a dark iron grey; the chin, lips, and inside of the ears are white; the ears are rather large and cow-like; there is a white spot on each cheek, a large white patch on the throat, below which hangs a tuft of long black hair; the chest and stomach are white, there are white rings on the fetlocks, and he has a thin upright black mane.

The female is fawn-coloured, and is without horns.

Scrub jungle, composed of ‘babul’ trees, ‘dhak’ and ‘beyr’ bushes, is the ground on which to look for nylghai, and if there is a patch of sugar cane adjoining such a jungle, it is an almost certain find. The natives often enclose these patches of cane with grass fences nearly six feet high, but nylghai will always jump them.

As a rule, natives object more or less strongly to nylghai being shot, regarding them as cattle; and as they afford poor sport with the rifle, most men spare them after having obtained a few specimens, especially if the ground is not rideable; but where they can be ridden it is quite another matter. A wounded bull will give a grand run, and even an unwounded one can be ridden down if well pressed at first. This is rather a difficult matter for a single horseman, but parties of three or four have frequently done it. Kinloch mentions an instance of its having been done single-handed, and gives some stirring accounts of his own adventures after nylghai. Cows, he says, it is almost impossible to catch, the only chance being with heavy old bulls.

Blue bulls have frequently been tamed and trained to carry loads. Sterndale mentions one he used to ride, but they are as a rule dangerous in captivity. The writer owned one who would let him sit on his back when lying down, but he would always charge any pony that came near him, dropping suddenly on his knees to use his horns. He used to break loose, and hunt the native gardeners up trees, whilst he enjoyed the produce. As the bull would not consent to be led, he had to be left behind when the writer’s battalion left the station, and his last exploit was to hunt the portly native landlord of the house round and round the premises when he came to look at his property.

The hide is very thick, especially on the shoulders, and is much prized by the boatmen on all the rivers for making up into the inflated skins they use.

Sterndale remarks: ‘He sometimes even devours such quantities of the intensely acrid berries of the aoula (Phyllanthus emblica) that his flesh becomes saturated with the bitter elements of the fruit. This is most noticeable in soup, less so in a steak, which is at times not bad.’

The writer has never had the luck to taste any part of a blue bull that was worth eating except the tongue.

XLIX. INDIAN GAZELLE (Gazella Bennetti)

Commonly called Ravine Deer; native name generally ‘Chikara’

The gazelle is found in suitable localities pretty nearly all over India, with the exception of Lower Bengal, the Western Ghauts, and the Malabar coast. Wherever there is sandy ground, low stony hills, or the network of ravines which fringes the banks of so many Indian streams near their sources, or where they cut their way through low hills, ravine deer are likely to be found. They avoid heavy forest or swamp covered with high grass, nor do they usually frequent closely cultivated ground unless there is scrub, jungle, or a ravine near to which they can retire when disturbed.

They are fidgetty, restless little animals, and, like the Thibetan gazelles, are incessantly twitching their tails. Even where not much hunted they are generally pretty wild, but as they do not as a rule go far when disturbed, the sportsman can usually get a shot by perseveringly following up a herd. A steady shooting horse is of great assistance in stalking them, and on the edge of the Bikanir Desert, where they are very plentiful, the easiest way of approaching them is under cover of a riding camel. As black buck and ravine deer are often found on the same ground, the same tactics in the stalk are applicable to either. The stick-rest recommended for black buck shooting is of the greatest assistance when shooting ravine deer among bushes. The bucks are often seen alone, and herds rarely consist of more than a dozen animals. The does have thin horns, and occasionally, in bad light or jungle, pay the penalty of being mistaken for bucks.

Ravine deer shooting with a light rifle is very good fun. Straight shooting is necessary for so small a mark, and as a rule the day’s amusement can be varied by shots at black buck or small game. Colonel Howard, in 1883, got one ravine buck, one bustard, two peafowl, one sand-grouse, one duck, in a day, all shot with a rifle.

A ravine buck with a broken leg will give a good run to dogs if found in the open, but as a rule the ground these deer frequent is too broken for coursing.

An unwounded doe was run down by three dogs belonging to officers of the Rifle Brigade in 1876, but on another occasion the writer saw a fawn run clean away from a good dog. Kinloch describes how the officers of the Guides used to hunt ravine deer with dogs and falcons.

L. THE FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE (Tetraceros quadricornis)

Native names: generally ‘Charsingha,’ ‘Choka,’ ‘Doda’; in Chota Nagpur ‘Cháorang’ (Kinloch)

Four-horned antelopes are found thinly scattered all over India, but, according to Sterndale, not in Ceylon or Burmah. They are met with in Rajputana, but the writer has never heard of them in the Punjab.

They generally live alone or in pairs, and frequent bamboo jungle, or the long grass and bushes near forests.

Their colouring varies a good deal, but it is generally a reddish-brown, paler below the forelegs, and fetlocks dark; the latter being ringed with pale marks. The female is hornless. The male has two pairs of short, smooth black horns, the front pair, which is shorter than the other pair, growing almost above the eyes, while the rear pair rises just in front of the ears. The front pair are often mere knobs, and good specimen heads, with the four horns complete, are not easy to get; in fact, this antelope is such a small animal and sticks so persistently to cover, that the majority of those that are killed are bagged by lucky snap-shots. Sterndale quotes a letter in the ‘Asian,’ signed ‘Bheel,’ in which the writer remarks: ‘It is found in the thick jungles at the foot of the hills. It selects some secluded spot, which it does not desert when disturbed, returning invariably to its hiding-place when the coast is clear.’ This peculiarity might well be taken advantage of by any sportsman desirous of obtaining a specimen; on a four-horn being put up, his hiding-place might be noted, the attendants sent on a few hundred yards, and the sportsman remain behind to intercept the animal on its return. The writer has never tried this plan, but only offers the suggestion for what it is worth.

Measurements

The four-horn has the stilted action peculiar to deerlets, walking on the tips of its toes. Sterndale remarks that it is higher at the croup than the withers, and runs with its neck stuck out in a poky sort of way, making short leaps.

LI. THE MOUSE DEER (Meminna indica)

Native names: ‘Pisora,’ ‘Pisai’

Habitat, the large forests of India; but it is not known, according to Jerdon, in the countries eastward of the Bay of Bengal. It is common in the bamboo forests of the Central Provinces (Sterndale). The writer has never heard of it in Northern India, nor has he even seen it in Central India; in the Western Ghauts it is common enough.

In colour it is an olive dun, with lines of pale yellow spots along the sides; the lower parts are white; the ears small and rounded; the legs fine and delicate, being scarcely thicker than an ordinary pencil; the tail is short. The male has delicate little tushes pendant from the upper jaw, like the Barking deer; the scrotum is hairless, and instead of being between the legs is behind them, like the ordinary little Indian ground squirrel, which it very much resembles in colour and markings. It is commonly found in bamboo jungle, and the writer got a good specimen in the Western Ghauts. Sterndale writes of some tame mouse deer which he had: ‘They trip about most daintily on the tips of their toes, and look as if a puff of wind would blow them away. They are said to rut in June and July, and bring forth two young about the end of the rainy season.’

LII. KYANG (Equus hemionus)

Thibet ‘Kyang’

The kyang was doubtless originally intended by Providence to fulfil some good purpose, but having turned out a failure was located in Thibet, where it was probably considered it would not be much in the way; or else it was designed to take the place of the insect life on the lower ranges and act as a blister on the temper of the sportsman. The shapoo, limb of the devil as it is, has some good points in its favour—e.g. a graceful carriage, fine horns, and it is a desirable acquisition to the bag. The kyang has nothing to recommend or excuse it. It is an ugly, donkeyfied, fiddle-headed brute, with straight shoulders. In colour it is a mealy bay with a dark-brown hog mane, dorsal stripe and tail. Its head and ears are coarse and large, and its screeching bray is as unpleasant as its general appearance. Being absolutely worthless to shoot, it is always trading on that fact, and on the utterly false pretence that it is deeply interested in the actions and habits of human beings, particularly Europeans, is for ever thrusting itself into society where it is not welcome, thereby spoiling the sportsman’s chance of a quiet interview with the animal of his choice. The one trait in its character that might be reckoned as a palliation by an unduly benevolent commentator is that it appears not to be selfish. As soon as it thinks it has got a sportsman’s temper well under way, it will scour the country round for all its friends and relations, and assemble them to enjoy together the interesting spectacle of an angry man armed with a rifle that he dare not discharge for fear of alarming something worth firing at. Hints and persuasion are thrown away, and nothing but a declaration of war has the smallest effect on kyang. A skilful diplomat may occasionally gain a temporary advantage by misleading kyang as to his intended route—getting the kyang, for instance, to believe that he wants to cross a particular pass, and then, by taking advantage of cover, escaping up a side ravine; but as a rule the sportsman has only the choice of two alternatives: either to take the first opportunity of hiding and remaining hidden till the disturbance is over, or else going to some other part of the ground.

Measurements.