DEER. 243 



ire still to be found in the wild state in three districts of 

 England, but are elsewhere confined to the Scottish Highlands 

 md some of the wilder parts of Ireland. In the west of 

 England there are a considerable number in Devonshire and 

 isomersetshire, the herd being estimated at about two hundred 

 md fifty head in 1871. Martindale Fell, in Westmoreland, is 

 ikewise one of the last strongholds of the species, although the 

 lumber of head now remaining is comparatively small ; and as 

 hese Deer are fed in winter they can hardly be considered as 

 ibsolutely wild. According to the Hon. G. Lascelles, some 

 ifteen or twenty head still remain in the New Forest. About 

 L century ago there were wild Red Deer in Cornwall ; and all 

 eaders of Gilbert White must be familiar with his description 

 )f the Deer in Wolmer Forest, in Hampshire, which, in the 

 ime of Queen Anne, numbered about five hundred head. 

 Tame Red Deer are now kept in eighty-six English parks, 

 »ut of which Batminton has the largest herd. In most of these 

 )arks Fallow Deer are also kept, but in Blenheim (Oxfordshire), 

 Jolton Abbey (Yorkshire), Barmingham (Yorkshire), and Calcot 

 Berkshire), Red Deer alone are kept. In a few English parks, 

 lamely, Alnwick, Ashridge, Langley, Welbeck, Windsor, and 

 Voburn, there is a white or cream-coloured variety of the Red 

 )eer, in which the nose is flesh-coloured, while the eyes are 

 ither pale blue or straw-coloured. The origin of this breed 

 ; quite unknown. It may be remarked here that formerly 

 lere was a prejudice against keeping Red and Fallow Deer in 

 le same park, as it was thought they would disagree ; but 

 lis is now ascertained to be a mistaken idea. 



It will be unnecessary to refer to the distribution of the 

 led Deer in the Scottish Highlands, but it may be mentioned 

 lat even in comparatively recent times the range of the species 

 xtended to the south-west of Scotland. Deer are indigenous 

 i the island of Mull, though there have been several impor- 



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