208 RUMINANTIA. 



fat contributing to his buoyancy. The female bears one younnr, 

 seldom more, in or near the month of May. The fawn, or calf, 

 as it is called, the first year, does not quit the dam during the 

 entire summer. The female is most assiduous in concealing and 

 tending the young one, which is needful to secure it against as- 

 saults, not only from the cat and dog tribes, but even from the 

 stag himself, who is not overstocked with paternal affection. 



C. Dama, (Lai. a Fallow Deer.) The FALLOW DEER. 



This has the same general form, aspect and manners as the 

 Stag, with a more gentle disposition. The size is smaller, but 

 the chief difference between the Fallow Deer and the Stag re- 

 lates to the horns, (Plate VII. figs. 2 and 6,) which, in the former, 

 are broad and palmated, at their extremities pointing a little for- 

 ward, and branched on their hinder sides. It is less delicate 

 than the stag in its choice of food, and browses much closer ; is at 

 full maturity when three years old. 



There are two varieties of this animal in England, where it 

 adorns the modern parks. The beautiful dappled variety is sup- 

 posed to have been brought from the south of Europe, or the 

 western parts of Asia ; the other very deep brown variety is 

 said by Pennant to have been introduced by James I., from Nor- 

 way. On the continent of Europe, as well as in England, they 

 are confined in parks ; but they are found wild in Moldavia as 

 well as Lithuania. The venison of this Deer is of the richest 

 and most delicate kind ; the skins of the buck arid doe. are unri- 

 valed for durability and softness; the horns, like those of the 

 stag, are manufactured into knife handles and other articles, 

 while from the refuse, ammonia or hartshorn is extracted. This 

 species is represented in the sculptures of Nineveh. 



C. Virginianus. The AMERICAN DEER. 



This species resembles the English Fallow Deer, and is so 

 named by Professor Emmons, (Mass. Report.) The color is 

 bluish gray in the autumn and winter, dusky reddish in the 

 spring, changing to bluish in the summer; the young animal is 

 spotted with white. The horns are of moderate size, curving 

 forward, having the concave part in front, " with from one to six 

 points occasionally palmated." In the adult males the horns 

 show a great variety, which is regulated by their age, the season 

 of the year, and the abundance or scarcity of their food. These 

 animals range from Canada to Mexico. In some places, the 

 united attacks of men and wolves are largely diminishing their 

 number. Their horns are usually cast in the winter. Dr. De 

 Kay says the reason so few of the horns are found, is that as 

 soon as they are shed they are eaten up by the Rodents or gnaw- 



