208 VISCOUNT POWERSCOURT ON THK L^P^- '» 



After all the Deer had been there for a year there was a 

 remarkable improvement in their health, from the extent and variety 

 of pasture which they had there, and the Wapiti as well as the 

 Sambur and Red Deer improved very much. But unfortunately one 

 of the Red Stags had a fight one day with the Wapiti, and, being 

 more active, gave him a thrust and broke his hind leg, just below 

 the hock. We managed to secure the wounded Wapiti and to set 

 the leg ; but although the bone knit, and he could put his foot to the 

 ground, he never recovered, but dwindled away and died. I then 

 sold the remainder of the Wapiti to an agent of King Victor 

 Emmanuel of Italy. 



The Sambur Deer hved for three or four years, and as there was 

 no male (one which I had got from the Royal Collection at Windsor 

 having died), there were several hybrids born, no doubt between a 

 Red Stag and the Sambur hinds, but one by one, both the pure 

 Sambur and the hybrids died off, until there were none left. The 

 climate was evidently too damp for them. 



It was a curious thing with the Sambur Deer, and it was no 

 doubt the cause of their death, that they never would come out of 

 the thickets in the daytime. They unfortunately could not be taught 

 that Ireland has not a tropical climate, and they used to skulk in 

 the thickest cover they could find, out of the sun, all day, and only 

 came out to feed at night, as they would in the jungles of Mysore, 

 where I have seen them pursuing the same tactics. Of course by 

 this unnecessary precaution on their part against the meridian rays, 

 of which we should like to see a little more in this country than 

 we do, they got chilled through, and eventually died. 



In the meantime, on a visit to Jamrach I had seen some Japanese 

 Deer (Cervus sika) ; and I thought that as the climate of Japan is a 

 pretty severe one in winter, I would try if they would succeed any 

 better than the other species. I bought therefore one male and three 

 females ; and these have been the only Deer of any newly intro- 

 duced kind which have been a real success. 



The Llamas and other animals all died off; and these pretty little 

 Deer are the only ones which have multiplied, and have also never 

 required any shelter of any kind nor any winter-feeding except what 

 the ordinary Red Deer and Fallow Deer get, such as hay &c. I 

 find that Indian corn is the best food for all Deer after hay. It is 

 easily given, and there is no waste, as they pick up every grain as 

 • soon as thrown out to them. I tried locust beans, which are good 

 but expensive, and also oil-cake, but they do not eat that up so clean 

 as the Indian corn, and if the weather is wet it melts away. 



There should be rock-salt always given to Deer, in places where 

 it can be put, in a shed of some kind, so as not to be exposed to 

 wet. 



These Japanese Deer were put into the park at Powerscourt about 

 the year 1860, and at present (1884) I have upwards of 100 of them, 

 besides having shot two or three yearly, and also having given away 

 a great many and sold others. 



