RUSA ARISTOTELIS. Jerd. Sambur.
Cervus hippelaphus, Cuv. C. jarai, Hodgson.
C. equinus, Cur. C. heterocercus, Hodgson.
C. Leschenaultii, Cuv. C. saumur, Ogilby, Hodg e. niger, Blainv. son.
Ghous, Gaoj, . . BENG. Jarao, Mahn, Jarai, HIND. Kadavi, Kadaba, . CAN. Bara singhs, . . „ Kannadi, . . „ Meru, MAL of the GHATS. Ma-ao, . . . GONDI. Sambur, . MAUER., The different Indian names of Hippelaphus, Aristotelis, Equinus are applied to the sambur stag, the great Indian stag, originally described by Aristotle under the designation of Hippelaphus, and discriminated as such by M. Duvaucel in the Asiatic Researches, xv. p. 174. The horns of different individuals present great diversities of form. The only common Characters are those of a basal antler, springing directly and equally with the beam from the burr ; and the beam terminat ing in a bifurcated extremity, formed by a bra.nch or snag separating posteriorly, and pointing obliquely to the rear. But Mr. Elliot met with instances of medial antlers with trifurcated extrem ities, and in one case with the extremities show ing a fourfold division. The size of the rusa is large, sometimes exceeding 14 hands in height The colour varies from dark greyish-black or alato-black, lilt the chine, the inner sides of the limbs, the under part of the tail, and the space between the buttocks yellowish-white, passing into orange-yellow, but never extending into a large circular disc on the buttocks. In several
instances ho met with hinds of a pale yellow or light chesnut colour. These were young indi viduals, but the shikaris always declared them to be the same as the common kind, and no other difference was perceptible. The cranium of ono of these lightscoloured females presents no structural differences from that of a young black female. Both sexes have canine teeth in the upper jaw, springing from the suture between the maxillary and inter-maxillary bones. The neck and throat are clothed with a long mane. The suborbital sinus is very large. When the animal is excited, or angry, or frightened, it is opened very large, and can be distended at pleasure. The new horns are soft and tender during the monsoon from June to September, about which time the rutting season commences. The stags are then fierce and bold. 3Ir. Elliot had seen one, when suddenly disturbed, face the intruder for a moment, shaking his head, bristling his mane, distending the suborbital sinus, and then da.shing into the cover.—Tennent's Ceylon, p. 59.