338 
formed themselves into a hunting-club, organized all the 
curs they could lay their hands on into a pack of hounds, 
and sallied forth in scarlet frocks with green collars. But it 
would not do. They speedily discovered that, in calculating 
the chances of catching the hare or of breaking their own 
necks, the odds were hollow in favour of the latter. 
* The Deer of Mauritius is, I am disposed to believe, a 
variety of the Cervus Avis. It is rather larger than the 
fallow-deer. Its hair is of a chestnut colour, long and shaggy 
on the old animals, and the male has a long beard. The 
horns are from two to three feet long, and measure nearly 
as much from point to point: they send off two successive 
branches in front, and are studded all over with tubercles 
The deer frequent chiefly the districts of the Black River, and 
the Savanne. When hard pushed by the hounds, they make 
for the sea side, and dash into the water with as much bold- 
hess as if it was their natural element. i 
* The catalogue of the indigenous birds is nearly as brief 
as that of the quadrupeds; and of them also, the most 
interesting have been introduced from other countries. The 
most remarkable of the latter is the Guinea-fowl (Numidia 
Meleagris), of which large coveys are sometimes seen on the 
outskirts of the forest. Two species of the Partridge 91e 
pretty abundant, one resembling the common partridge A 
England; the other is the Tetrao Madagascarensis, called 
from its spotted plumage, the * Pintade.’ 
“ The Mayana (Gracula tristis) was brought at an early 
period from the Molucca Islands, for the purpose of repress 
ing the ravages of the locust, which threatened the ruin of 
the infant Colony. The circumstances attending the intro- 
duction of these birds, are detailed in Buffon's Natural His- 
tory, in which are also related, with due solemnity, m 
charge preferred against them, of betraying their trust P 
aiding the enemy whose progress they were called 1 x 
check; their trial, their condemnation, and the $ 
execution that followed. Nor does the historian pass ge 
the. testimony of the Bourbon Faculty in their exculpatio?s 
which, though it came too late to save the lives of 
