36 WILD LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND. 



hills near Cambridge, ami two deer were shot tin-re," some two 

 hundred iiiik-s from Carnarvon. In 1906 stag-shooting was opened 

 for the first time in the Marlon district (Rangitikei), but there were 

 numerous eoin]'laints about poaching. The herd seems now to be 

 a fairly large one. but the local Rangers complain of indiscrimi- 

 nate destruction of deer in season and out of season. 



In 1907 the Tourist Department imported two sambur deer from 

 Noumea, and liberated them in the Rotorua district, adding to 

 them some others secured in the Manawatu, so as to form the nucleus 

 of a new herd. 



VIRGINIAN OR WHITE-TAILED DEER (Gariacu* virginianwt). 



In 1905 the Tourist Department imported eighteen white- 

 tailed deer from America, and liberated nine of them at Port 

 Pegasus, in Stewart Island, and nine in the Rees Valley, Lake 

 Wakatipu. The former location should not have been chosen, 

 for Stewart Island was long ago proclaimed a sanctuary for 

 native birds, and its selection illustrates the liapha/ard way in , 

 which acclimafi/ation work has been carried on in this country. 

 'I he introduction and the location were both apparently the choice 

 of Mr. Donne, of the Tourist Department, who is now in London. 

 These deer have increased to such an extent that in October. 

 ]!)!!). regulations for shooting them were gazetted, which means 

 that the island will cease to be a sanctuary. The white-tailed 

 deer is about 3ft. high. The upper part of the body is a bright 



nut colour in summer, changing to a yellowish speckled 

 irrey in winter, and with black markings on the face and tail. 

 The distinctive feature, from which the popular name is derived, 

 is the white colour of the underside of the tail. The antlers are 

 rather large, up to H in. or more between tin- tips, and have as 

 many as eighteen points in the largest specimens. I do not know 

 whether they are very numerous in P>rt PegaaUB, while then- is no 

 information available about the herd in the Lake \Ynkntipu region, 



