150 CATALOGUE OF THE MAMMALIA OF 
invaders. They may perhaps be looked upon as the descendants 
of those which pastured on the Cheviots when Greaves Ash was 
a busy town, and the camps of Brough Law and the surrounding 
hills were something more than mere objects of interest to the 
antiquary. . 
M. Riitimeyer considers it probable that our domestic sheep 
are the descendants of several wild races, perhaps brought into 
Europe by successful invaders and settlers on its soil. 
The Teeswater breed, which was formerly considered the 
largest and heaviest of heavy breeds, is now almost altogether 
lost in the Leicester breed; and, indeed, the persevering efforts 
of intelligent and eminent breeders are being directed in so many 
quarters to the discovery of elements of improvement, that the old 
local and provincial breeds are everywhere fast disappearing. 
Fam. CERVIDA. Smith. 
I. CERVUS. Linn. 
I. CG. evapHus. Zinn. Rep Dreser. Strac. Harr. Hinp. 
Although this splendid denizen of our forests and mountains 
has probably ceased to occur in a truly wild state in our district, 
it is but a very short time since such was the case, and it is still 
far from impossible that a stray stag may occasionally wander 
from the herds which are yet to be found in some of the wilder 
parts of Cumberland and Westmoreland, on to the neighbouring 
fells which are within our borders. 
Tn the forest of Knarsdale, near Alston, they were to be found 
down to the close of the last century and probably in the early 
part of the present one. 
Wallis writing of this animal, says, “the most beautiful of all 
our wild gregarious animals is the red deer, become very scarce 
by the eager pursuit of sportsmen and others after them. They 
are but seldom seen except in the forest of Knarsdale, where I 
have seen about five or six in company, never more. The 
moment they behold any of the human species they are struck 
with terror, and fly like lightning to some secure and expe- 
rienced retreat for refuge.’* 
* Wallis’ Hist. North. I., 408. 
