THE NEW FOREST DEER 69 



colour on the under parts. Again one sees nearly 

 black deer, and those that are nearly red without 

 spots. Each one of these retains the same colour 

 both in summer and in winter. But in the wild 

 deer of the New Forest, just as in the case of 

 wild roe deer, there is, a complete alteration in 

 the colour of each individual deer in summer and 

 in winter. In summer every deer is a perfect 

 fallow colour that is to say a bright ground colour 

 with conspicuous white spots on the sides. That 

 is the true "fallow" colour, but in October they 

 change rapidly, and become in every single case 

 of the dun variety that is to say, of a very dark 

 brown colour on the back, coming low down on 

 the sides, and of a light dun on all the lower 

 and under part of the body. I have never seen 

 in a park a universal and a complete change such 

 as these wild deer go through. At any rate the 

 New Forest may heartily thank the Eomans for 

 three very desirable things. First (as many say), 

 the beech tree, the most beautiful object in the 

 Forest ; secondly, the fallow deer ; and lastly, the 

 pheasant. Long as it is since the tramp of the 

 Roman legions was heard in England, yet the 

 beautiful features which they introduced into the 

 New Forest remain and thrive, when other memo- 

 ries of that wonderful race have died away. 



Of the deer, without doubt there were two 



