Pere David's Deer 



261 



far as is known, with the exception of a very few specimens in continental 

 menageries, the Woburn herd comprises all the individuals of this species 

 now surviving ; and its destiny will consequently be watched with great 

 interest by naturalists. Hitherto its condition and progress have been 

 fairly satisfactory, the losses by death not being excessive, and the pro- 

 portion ot males and females among the fliwns not unduly high. In 

 1 90 1 five fawns were born, one ot which was a male, while two were 



Fig. 62.- 



1... .id's Deer. From a photograph taken at Woburn Abbe) i,\ l. 

 Duchess of Bedford. 



females ; the sex of the others was not ascertained when this passage was 

 written. 



Many years ago the British Museum acquired a fine skeleton of a 

 stag of this species, but a stuffed specimen was long a desideratum in the 

 collection. By the generosity of the Duke of Bedford this want has 

 been supplied ; and there are now exhibited to the public an entire stag 

 and the head and neck of a hind. Unfortunately the taxidermist has 



