2 DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTER 



first edition of this work that they are found also in Asia 

 and America ; but this assertion I have reason to think is 

 founded in error; neither can I admit that the stag of 

 Barbary is of the same species with ours. Having 

 examined the deer in the Zoological Gardens, I submit 

 the following reasons for my dissent : 



The Wapiti or American deer is of too vast a mag- 

 nitude to make the point doubtful : we know that the hind 

 in the Zoological Gardens, which was killed by the stag, 

 weighed, in a degenerate state, and with its head off, 34 

 stone; and it is probable that the male, under the same 

 disadvantage of confinement, weighs at least 50 stone. 



The Sambur deer of India is also very large, and cannot 

 be mistaken for the same species as our red deer. The 

 horns of this animal are rather upright ; it has short brow 

 antlers only ; and at three years old, two points at the 

 extremities of each beam, but never the second or third 

 antler at any period of its life. Its eyes are very pro- 

 minent, the ears approaching to a circular form, the tail 

 longer, and the arm more muscular than in our northern 

 stags ; when old, the hair immediately next to the jaw is 

 longer than that in any other part of the neck. The 

 ranking him with the European species is entirely out of 

 the question. 



Neither, I think, can we class the Himalaya deer ( Cervus 

 Elapho'ides) with those of North Britain, though it ap- 

 proaches nearer to them than those above mentioned; it 

 has one short brow antler alone, never more : two or three 

 points at the extremity of each beam, and possibly some- 

 times more ; its ears are large, and its eyes less prominent 

 than is usual with the race. 



