224: AMERICAN GAME. 



rior side, and arising from it in a forward and upward 

 direction. The only exception to this is tlie brow antler, 

 a short erect spike, which arises from the inner and 

 anterior surface of the principal stem. 



In color the American Deer is generally of a reddish- 

 brown, or fulvous tint, darker above, and pure white on 

 the chin, throat, belly, and inside of the fore-legs, the 

 upper parts being more or less diversified with cinereous 

 gray, or bluish hairs. These' become more numerous 

 during the summer, and in the autumn, and during the 

 winter the whole animal assumes a grayer tint. The 

 ears are margined with dark brown, and are white 

 within, the upper side of the tail is of the same color 

 with the upper parts in general, .and is white below. 

 The hoofs are jet black. 



The female is smaller than the male, and hornless, but 

 otherwise resembles him exactly ; the fawns are beauti- 

 fully spotted with irregular white spots on a fulvous or 

 tawny ground. The male is generally known as the 

 buck, and the female as the doe ; though, for my own 

 part, I consider from their greater analogy to the Euro- 

 pean Bed Deer than to any other variety, that Hart and 

 Hind would be the more correct and sportsmanlike 

 nomenclature. This is, however, at best but a subordi- 

 nate matter, and need not be insisted on, especially until 

 the graver and m'ore important errors in sporting nomen- 

 clature, among the birds and fishes especially, have been 

 corrected. 



