FALLOW-DEER. 439 



That the Fallow-deer of Europe and some of the 

 native species from America have been introduced 

 into Jamaica, there is indubitable evidence ; and it is 

 highly probable that both have naturalised themselves, 

 and are now existing in the forests in a wild state. 

 We must probably look for the first importation of 

 both races, to an earlier period than the time of Sir 

 Charles Price. Long, in his History of Jamaica, 

 published in 1 774, includes in his enumeration of the 

 animals, both the Red-deer and Fallow-deer : on the 

 latter he makes no remark, but on the former he 

 makes the following note. *' These were originally 

 imported from the continent, and are now grown 

 scarce. They rarely grow fat here in their wild state, 

 l)ut their flesh has a good flavour." The terms of this 

 note certainly imply that the race then in a wild state, 

 lad been introduced at a period of considerable re- 

 moteness from his own experience ; and he was 

 familiarly acquainted with the colony. Browne, 

 writing some twenty years earlier, speaks in nearly 

 the same language. He says, " The Red-deer are 

 frequently carried to Jamaica from North America, 

 and kept by many gentlemen in convenient inclosures, 

 but they do not thrive well in the Island," The 

 Fallow-deer he does not mention. 



What particular American species has been intro- 

 duced, or whether there are more than one, we can- 

 not say. From Browne's note just quoted we should 

 conjecture that he meant the common Deer of the 

 United States {Mazama Virginiana), which is of a 

 reddish hue in summer, and could be obtained with 

 ease in any numbers. Col. H. Smith, the highest 



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