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Show 272 MR. U. PRICHARD ON PATAGONIAN MAMMALS. [Apr. 15, 5. Field-Notes upon some of the larger Mammals of Patagonia, made between September 1900 and June 1901. By H E S K E T H PRIOHARD, F.Z.S. [Received March 13, 1902.] 1. THE HUEMUL. (Xenelaphus bisulcus.) (Huemul of the Argentines and Chilians ; Ciervo of the Gauchos of Southern Patagonia; Shoan of the Tehuelches.) In the neighbourhood of Lake Buenos Aires this beautiful deer first came under my observation. On the south side of the valley of the river De los Antiguos I saw a buck (which I shot), two does and a pricket. I was informed by my Gaucho, Humphrey Jones, that the Huemul is found in the woods as far north as the Welsh Colony of the 16th October about lat. 43°, and that on the south its range extends to the Straits of Magellan. Its present habitat may be broadly said to extend as far east as the foothills of the Andes. Dr. F. P. Moreno states that the Xenelaphus bisidcus has been seen in the hills in the vicinity of Port Desire on the Atlantic coast; I do not, however, think it is any longer to be found there. So far as my personal observations go, I never came across a specimen farther east than a couple of miles from the shores of Lake Buenos Aires upon its northeastern side. The Indians say that this animal was at one time more numerous in this region. During the summer these deer leave the lower grounds where the mosquitoes trouble them, and travel up to the snow-line of the Cordillera and even beyond it. At this season I never observed a large herd; but in the winter, Mr. Cattle, a pioneer living near Lake Argentino, informed me that a numerous herd, over 100 strong, had visited the lake. The Huemul s are in the habit of wandering outside the forests in the morning and forenoon, but in the afternoon they generally retire to their shelter, where they often lie clown. I have found these animals in the dense forests upon the slopes of the Cordillera which border the lakes. They are excellent swimmers, and cross the broad arms of Lake Argentino without hesitation. In December the Huemuls which I shot were shedding their winter coat, and I noticed that the bucks were further advanced in this matter than the does. There were a few scraps of velvet clinging to the horns of one of the bucks which I shot on the 17th of December. The best head that I secured carried 5 points. Mr. Von Plaaten Hallermund, of the Argentine Boundary Commission, told me that he had seen a Huemul's head carrying 8 points; this was in the neighbourhood of Lake San Martin. One of my peones, Bernardo Hahansen, who had penetrated into the same district, said he also had seen an 8-pointer. Mr. Cattle and his companions shot two bucks, both of which were 4-pointers. |