THE LEGITIMATE USE OF GAME 121 



and more robust, with longer and heavier antlers 

 and longer hair, than any of the red deer of Europe 

 west of Germany. They represent the greatest 

 inbreeding experiment on record; and the sports- 

 men of New Zealand have grand sport and take 

 many fine trophies. 



A similar experiment with fallow deer has been 

 carried out on the island of Lambay, in the Irish 

 Sea, with three animals transplanted from the 

 mainland of Ireland in 1892. From that slender 

 stock has sprung a large herd, which, but for the 

 number purposely killed and others that have been 

 accidentally killed by falling over the cliffs during 

 storms, now would number several hundred head. 

 No new blood has been introduced and no deer have 

 died of disease. Neither the owner of Lambay, Mr. 

 Cecil Baring, nor his gamekeepers, have been able 

 to discover any deterioration in those deer, either in 

 size, antlers, fertility or general physical stamina. 

 And yet, strange to say, that island has an area of 

 only one square mile, 640 acres ! 



These two demonstrations, and others that could 

 be named, fairly establish the following new 

 principle : 



When healthy wild animals are established in a 

 state of nature, either absolutely free, or confined 

 in preserves so large that they roam at will, seek 

 the food of nature and take care of themselves, in- 

 and-in breeding produces no ill effects and ceases to 

 be a factor. The animals develop in physical per- 



