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Show 764 LIEUT. R. C. BEAVAN ON THE PANOLIA DEER. [June 27, spots, and the herds are altogether more scattered, owing to the increased density of the vegetation. They feed both during the day and night, chiefly in early morning and evening. Their food consists principally of jungle-paddy ; during the night they do a great deal of damage to the cultivated variety, treading down more than they eat. They also feed on grass, and the leaves of two jungle-trees called in Burmese the " keay" and the " thameh," the scientific appellations of which I am unable to resolve. In a tamed state they will eat plantain-leaves. The call of the female uttered when disturbed is a short barking grunt, that of the males is louder and more prolonged. It is most frequently heard in the rutting-season, during which period the males have frequent and severe battles. A pair have been known to have been captured whilst so engaged with their antlers interlocked. About the end of January the first jungle-fire sweeps over the plain and destroys the dry herbage, leaving small patches here and there about the edges of swamps. The second burning takes place about the end of March, and leaves scarcely a blade of grass behind it; the plain is then almost entirely bare, and the deer, having no cover, congregate in large herds. They are then to be seen on all sides, and, the Buffaloes having previously been withdrawn to the tree-jungle, are left alone in their glory, and, as noticed before by Colonel Blake, become at this time excessively wary. From the middle of February until the first showers fall at the end of April they apparently subsist without water ; they lie in the salt-swamps during this period, and get the benefit of heavy dews at night. Their only enemy appears to be man ; but an epidemic occasionally breaks out amongst them and destroys large numbers. The last occurred in 1863, and some fifty or sixty head fell victims. The cause of this murrain is unknown ; it is probably analogous to that which yearly in Burmah, during the rains, causes such havoc amongst domestic cattle. The Burmese readily eat the diseased flesh, and experience no bad effects from doing so. The disease attacks old and young alike, apparently, causes great emaciation and loss of strength, and the animal at last dies of pure weakness. It will probably be found to be some swelling or affection of the throat and lungs which prevents tbe animal from eating. There seems to be no doubt that in Burmah this species is gradually decreasing, and will at no distant date be excessively rare. This can be accounted for by the gradual but steady increase in the population, and the greater area of country (which must naturally increase yearly) which is taken up for the cultivation of rice. Unfortunately for the Thamyn, the whole of their favourite locale is excessively well adapted to the cultivation of rice; and there is no doubt that where the indigenous wild plant is found there also the cultivated variety will flourish. The rice-trade of Burmah is yearly increasing in extent; and a few years bid fair to see the present haunts of the Thamyn not unlike the present state of the greater portion of the rice-producing plains of Lower Bengal. An intelligent Burmese shikarry, who has been a hunter from his |