20 SECRETS OF EARTH AND SEA 



1 lived amongst them the last twelve years. I agree that 

 ' the picture is wonderful better than anything Landseer 

 ' or Rosa Bonheur drew, because these latter were only 

 ' artists : one can see by their pictures (full of faults as to 

 ' attitudes and actions) that they knew nothing of deer. 

 ' For instance, Landseer's stags were much too big in the 

 ' body and their heads too small, and even the shape of 

 " their horns was conventional. . . . 



" The Lorthet drawings enable one to know all details 

 " about the three deer (looking at the original mutilated 

 " ' development '). First, the deer have ' got the wind ' of 

 " an enemy, have come a long way, and are moving 

 " leisurely, the big stag, as usual, bringing up the rear and 

 " taking a last look round before the herd goes out of sight. 

 " The second is the younger stag who generally accom- 

 " panics the big stag and acts as his sentinel when he is 

 " sleeping, a stag too small to give the big stag any jealousy 

 " as to his hinds. The third is undoubtedly a calf (Red deer 

 " are * stags/ ' hinds,' and ' calves,' not ' does J and ' fawns '; 

 " the latter terms apply to Fallow deer and Roe-deer). 



" The deer are typical Red deer, not Wapiti, except that 

 " the only tail showing (that of the middle deer) is the short 

 " Wapiti tail, not the longer tail of the Red deer, and the 

 " ears are shorter than those of any existing species of deer. 

 " The horns of the big stag are those of typical park Red 

 " deer, exactly like the Warnham Park big stag : brow, 

 " bay, and tray, with a bunch on top, and the horns are 

 " short and straight for their thickness. 



" Now as to the short tail. I am trying, by crossing the 

 " Wapiti, Red deer, and Altai to get back to the original 

 " deer before the various species got separated, and my 

 " ' three-cross ' deer show these very characteristics, as 

 " follows: Red deer or Warnham horns, short Wapiti tail, 

 " and the rather Roman nose which this * development ' 

 " print shows. The only difference is the short ears. Is it 

 " not possible that, as the artist is able to draw the horns in 

 " perspective and show the anatomy and proportions so 

 " well, that the ears are meant to be drawn fore-shortened ? 

 " The stag's mouth is open because he is big and fat 

 " and is blowing (not roaring or bellowing). If it was the 



