COAT AND COLOR. 149 



In some specimens, as already shown, there is no appreciable 

 difference in the color of the back, sides, outside of the thighs 

 and neck, between the Virginia Deer and the Columbia black- 

 tailed deer. But the rich russet shade of the Columbia deer is 

 not common on the Virginia Deer. In general, there is a bluish 

 shade observed on the Common Deer, which is so prevalent as to 

 have given the winter coat the general appellation, as already 

 shown, of the blue, among frontiersmen and hunters, who say the 

 deer is in the red or the blue, as it may be in the summer or the 

 winter coat. But the difference in the depth of this color is so 

 very great, as well as the different shades of color, as to sui'prise 

 one Avho will examine thirty or forty together. As the winter 

 advances, all become appreciably of a lighter color. 



On this deer, as on all the others of the smaller species, the 

 white which universally prevails on the under side of the head, 

 terminates with the throat, or just after it reaches the upper part 

 of the neck. Thence the under side of the neck has no white, 

 but is of the prevailing color of the rest of the neck, until we 

 reach the lower extremity. There commences a black, or, on 

 some specimens, a brown stripe, which is always constant, and 

 extends along the brisket to a line even with the posterior part 

 of the fore legs. On either side of this black stripe all is Avhite, 

 which extends down the inside of the fore-legs to the knees. All 

 of the belly is also a very pure white, embracing also tlje inside 

 of the thighs and hind legs to the hocks, and up to the tail. 

 This is constant on all the Virginia Deer, but on no other species. 

 This white of the belly widens all the way back from the fore 

 legs to the umbilicus, when it involves all the under side of the 

 animal. The white on the lower part of the legs varies much 

 in extent on diffei'ent individuals, as has been elsewhere stated. 

 On some specimens there is a beautiful gray mark on the inner 

 front side of the fore leg four or five inches long, and two inches 

 wide at the upper end, and terminating in a point, below which 

 it is separated from the white beyond by a tawny stripe extend- 

 ing from the body down to, and enveloping the lower leg. 



The individual hairs are always intensely black at their ex- 

 tremities, with sharp points for perhaps two lines or more, then 

 a lighter shade of about the same extent. Then again they be- 

 come dai'kei', but presently begin to grow lighter, till on the 

 lower parts they are white or a light drab. 



The under coat of fur is present with the winter coat, but not 

 very abundant. It is irregularly and loosely curled around 



