CLASS MAMMALIA. 75 



Although fossil remains of the Red and Roe Deer are not 

 infrequently discovered, none of the Fallow Deer have yet 

 come to light. 



The judicial decision which fortunately placed Epping 

 Forest under the charge of the Corporation of London came 

 just in time to save the remnant of the Epping Fallow Deer, as 

 in 1870 the stock in the Forest had dwindled down to only 

 five or six brace of deer and one buck (Fisher's Forest of 

 Essex, p. 221, The Field, August 5th, 1876, p. 156, and 

 ZooL, 1888, p. 74). 



We have already referred to Mr. J. E. Harting's ex- 

 haustive paper (Essex Nat., vol. i., p. 46) on " The Deer 

 of Epping Forest," which is accompanied by illustrations. 

 In pointing out some of the peculiarities of the Epping 

 Fallow Deer, he says (p. 56): "The Fallow Deer have 

 held their own, in spite of all difficulties, until the 

 present time, and have strangely preserved their ancient 

 character in regard to size and colour." He goes on 

 to describe them as comparatively small in size, of 

 a uniform dark brown, almost black, colour, in which 

 respect they vary from herds in other parts of the country, 

 and with very attenuated antlers characters which he con- 

 siders show, by their persistency, the probable antiquity of 

 the stock. Mr. E. N. Buxton, a Verderer of the Forest, con- 

 siders them to be the only representatives in England of the 

 ancient Deer (Epping Forest, 4th ed., Lond., 1897, P- 5 8 )- A 

 drawing of the head of a Fallow Buck from the Forest 

 (now in the Epping Forest Museum), sketched by Mr. H. A. 

 Cole, forms a frontispiece to the present work. It contrasts 

 strongly with the head of another Fallow Buck, belong- 

 ing to the Weald Hall Herd, and .also sketched by 

 Mr. H. A. Cole, which faces this page. This also is in 

 the Epping Forest Museum. 



