A Stranger Is Always Disappointed In A Ceylon Elk's Antlers; And
Very Naturally, For They Are Quite Out Of Proportion To The Great
Size Of The Animal.
A very large Scotch red deer in not more
than two-thirds the size of a moderately fine elk, and yet he
carries a head of horns that are infinitely larger.
In fact, so rare are fine antlers in Ceylon that I could not pick
out more than a dozen of really handsome elk horns out of the
great numbers that I have killed.
A handsome pair of antlers is a grand addition to the beauty of a
fine buck, and gives a majesty to his bearing which is greatly
missed when a fine animal breaks cover with only a puny pair of
horns. There is as great a difference in his appearance as there
would be in a life-guardsman in full uniform or in his shirt.
The antlers of the axis, or spotted deer, are generally longer
than those of the elk; they are also more slender and graceful.
Altogether, the spotted deer is about the handsomest of that
beautiful tribe. A fine spotted stag is the perfection of
elegance, color, strength, courage and speed. He has a proud
and thorough-bred way of carrying his head, which is set upon his
neck with a peculiar grace. Nothing can surpass the beauty of
his full black eye. His hide is as sleek as satin - a rich
brown, slightly tinged with red, and spotted as though mottled
with flakes of snow.
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