148 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



Oregon and Washington Territory, were as near alike as pos- 

 sible. Nor have I been able to detect an appreciable difference 

 in the color of these and those examined in California. The 

 limited range occupied by this deer may account for this uniform- 

 ity of color among the individuals. 



The general color of the body in winter dress is a tawny gray, 

 the red shade being much more distinct than is usually observed 

 on the Virginia deer, and yet I have specimens of the latter in 

 my grounds of precisely the same shade as the former. A hun- 

 dred times have I studied them when both were eating from my 

 hand, and could detect no difference in the shade of color, while 

 perhaps another Virginia deer would be standing but a few feet 

 away, so much lighter in color that one would suspect a dift'erent 

 species. 



There is a darker shade of color down the upper side of the 

 neck, fading out along the back, but this mark is the most vari- 

 able of any observed on the animal ; on some being scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable, while on others it is distinct and may be traced 

 nearly to the hips. 



On the under side of the neck is a dark line, which descending 

 increases in depth till it becomes black on the brisket, with a 

 lighter shade on either side as it joins the leg, which extends 

 down the inside of the fore leg. Passing back from the brisket, 

 the black melts away to a dark brown at the umbilicus, when it 

 shades down anteriorly to a fawn color and then white, which 

 involves all the inner part of the thighs, and passes up between 

 them to the seat of the tail, which in another ^^lace will be par- 

 ticularly described. The tawny-gray color of the back and sides 

 embraces, also, the outside of the thighs down nearly to the hocks, 

 and also the fore-shoulder, well towards the knees. I have never 

 seen the collar mark observed by Audubon and Bachman. 



The individual hairs on this part of the animal are tipped with 

 an intense black, then occurs an annular section of a tawny yel- 

 lowish shade ; then below that is brown, shading down to a drab, 

 and nearly white on the lower part. The under coat of fur is 

 present, but not very abundant, and is of a drab color. 



I have already remarked that there is less uniformity in the 

 color of both the winter and the summer coats of the Virginia 

 Deer, than in either of the other species. Indeed, this may be 

 said of neaidy all .the markings of this species, except only the 

 ornamental dress of the fawns, which are wonderfully uniform in 

 the shades of color. 



