The Deer Tribe 



299 



A WORD should be 

 said upon the subject 

 of the acclimatisation of 

 various members of the 

 Deer Tribe in countries 

 which are distant from 

 their native ground, but 

 in which they are found 

 to thrive and breed, 

 some with greater and 

 some with less success. 

 It will be seen that 

 several of the illustrations 

 in this chapter are taken 

 from deer living in 

 natural conditions at 

 Woburn Abbey, the seat 

 of the Duke of Bedford. 

 Others were photographed 

 out of doors in zoologi- 

 cal parks or private 

 menageries. There is a 

 considerable degree of 

 transferability among 

 deer, not only among 



Photo by the Duchess of Bedford] 



[ Woburn Abbey. 



YOUNG MARSH-DEER. 



A very elegant South American species. The main colour is a bright chestnut, with the lower part 

 of the legs black. The insides of the ears are filled with white hair, looking like silver filigree. 



those found in temperate or northern regions, but also those which inhabit the tropical jungles 

 of Southern India. 



The Axis, or Chital Deer of India, is the most striking example. It lives in the hot 

 jungles, where it is the usual food of the tiger. Yet it has been transferred to the forests of 

 France and to English parks, and not only lives, but breeds and increases in numbers. It is 

 kept in this country mainly at "Woburn Abbey, and at Haggerston Castle, in Northumberland. 

 In France and Germany herds of axis deer have been maintained long enough to observe a 

 curious and noteworthy incident in acclimatisation. The axis deer breeds naturally in October, 

 after the Indian rainy season. This habit, if persisted in in Europe, would expose the fawn 

 to the rigours of the French or English winter. Gradually and after some time the herds 

 become irregular in the time of reproduction, and later produce the fawns in June, at the 

 time which is best suited to their survival. This is a real instance of acclimatisation. 



The Japanese Deer, or Sika, was introduced into the park at Powerscourt by Viscount 

 Powerscourt some thirty years ago. Now it is one of the commonest of recently introduced 

 park-deer both in this country and in France. The venison is excellent, and the herds are 

 prolific. The stags are small, but very strong, and at Powerscourt always get the better of 

 the red deer stags, and sometimes carry off their hinds. Wapiti Deer are kept in several 

 English parks, but so far the Sambar has proved a failure. Hog-deer and Chinese Water-deer 

 do very well both in England and France. 



But it is in New Zealand that the best results have been obtained with imported deer. 

 The English Ked Deer, some of which were originally sent out by the Prince Consort, reinforced 

 by some of the same species bred in Australia, have become indigenous. They grow far faster 

 and to a larger size than those on the Scotch moors, and rival the great stags of the 

 Carpathians. The antlers also increase in size at an abnormal rate. Licences are regularly 

 issued to stalk and shoot these deer, which, like the brown trout and the pheasant, are now 

 among the stock of established wild fauna. Moose and a few Sambar stags and herds have 

 also been turned out in New Zealand. The latter are said to be doing well. 



