86 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



priately called " forests," for the Red-Deer, like most of its family, is 

 properly a forest animal, and only attains its full development when 

 it has the shelter and the variety of food afforded in a forest country. 

 Thus, in New Zealand, where this Deer was introduced from Scotland, 

 it is now a far finer animal than its ancestors were, although the stock 

 is very much inbred, the original animals introduced having been 

 only about a dozen all told. It may be gathered from this that the 

 Red-Deer is a browser as well as a grazer; the development of the 

 antlers depends very much upon the feeding the animal gets in the 

 winter and spring, as, of course, their production involves a great 

 drain on the system. Red-Deer's horns are perfect in autumn, and at 

 this time the stags, which usually live apart from the hinds, often 

 in small bachelor parties, fight savagely, and roar defiant challenges 

 to each other ; and at this time, especially if at all tame, they are apt 

 to be very dangerous to man. Red-Deer are in any case most de- 

 structive animals to crops, devouring corn, apples, and roots, and the 

 stag is worse, being more wasteful, than the hinds ; in the hunting 

 country on Exmoor, a " Deer Damage Fund " is maintained to com- 

 pensate for the loss thus occasioned to the farmers. Their depreda- 

 tions are made at night. On the other hand, Deer-stalking is one of 

 the great attractions of the Highlands, and has done much for the 

 prosperity of that part of our country. 



On the Continent the Deer has not only to contend with man, but 

 with his hereditary enemy the Wolf, and even with us he is liable to 

 be attacked, especially when young, by the Golden Eagle. 



The venison is esteemed, but not so much so as that of the Fallow- 

 Deer, and the great recommendation of the animal is its picturesque 

 appearance and its value to the sportsman. Like Deer generally, the 

 Red species does well and breeds freely even in close confinement ; it 

 had among the ancients a reputation for long life, but in point of fact 

 a stag seems to be past his prime long before he reaches twenty years. 



Closely allied to the Red-Deer are several Asiatic species, such as 

 the Hangul of Cashmere (Cervus cashmirianus) ; but in Central Asia 

 begins the range of the Wapitis, of which the North American species 

 (Cervus canadensis) is the type. These are animals of much greater 

 size than the Red-Deer and most of its allies, but otherwise very 

 similar. They have, however, shorter tails, and squeal instead of 



