ZOOLOGICAL SOCFETY BULLETIN 



A.M.-. IJl.l.l; IN .--l .M.MI.K 

 iltisfactorj- tropical deer. Heuil 



IKoriCAl, IJKEK l.\ THK SNOW 

 iitized Sainbar tliat ha.s grown heavy iH'la!?e ai 

 eiuhires severe winter weather. 



ful limbs. Tlie .intlers are sliort and thick. 

 The general build, except for the larger size, 

 ratiier resembles tiie XortJi American mule deer. 



In lOOi, when we first arranged our collec- 

 tion of Asiatic deer, we referred to the Sambar 

 deer as "thinly haired." We presently discov- 

 ered that a rapid ])liase of evolution probably 

 would render these animals less susceptible to 

 the vigors of our vacillating weather, and ma- 

 terially cliange their appearance. 



During the first winter the Sambar deer were 

 quartered in a large room of one of our stand- 

 ard deer barns, and the bitter cold of severe 

 nights was tempered by means of a small stove. 

 Care was taken not to raise the temperature 

 above 40° F. or permit it to go below 25'^ I". 

 During mild sunny days the animals were per- 

 mitted to run in the yards, but were shut in 

 tiie liouse at night. With the spring we noted 

 a marked thickening of the animal's pelage. 

 The hair had become thick enough to entirely 

 cover the creature's naturallv oilv skin. 



With the second winter the herd of these deer 

 was quartered in a tight barn without a fire. 

 All of the animals grew fine coats of hair, and 

 were out on some of the coldest winter days. 

 Their pelage had begun to grow thick and 

 heavv. Two winters had thus sufficed to par- 

 tially acclimatize tiiese fine, tropical animals, 

 and render them able to endure severe winters 

 without artificial warmth, and with no special 

 provisions different from those of our native 

 deer excepting a closed barn at night. After 

 three years in captivity our Sambar deer grew 

 pelage heavy enougii to appear imusu.ilh- well- 

 dad, even beside the winter coats of our deer 

 of the temperate zone. .Several photographs 

 presented here show this rapid evolution in 

 pelage. 



The Axis Deer, with its snow-white spots, is 

 the most beautiful deer in our collection, and 

 one of the most satisfactory. Although its 

 habitat embraces the warmer portions of India, 

 it quickly becomes acclimated, and we believe it 



WINTEK PELAGE OK THE MULE DEER 

 Compared with an acclimated Sambar. this deer < 

 temperate zone is no iK'tter ch((i. 



MALAYAN SA.MBAR DEER 



lily pelade of tlie Sambar before tlii 



tropical deer bee 



climated to our severe 



