156 THE DEER OF AMEPdCA. 



ring to another subject when he said, " It was as light as the down 

 of a feather plucked from the wing of a moment." If, as it 

 grows up, it loses something of this lightness and elasticity of 

 step, it is only because of the increased size of the animal, which 

 enables one the more readily to individualize the graceful mo- 

 tions which, in the little fawn, seem blended together with a 

 charm like the blending of harmonious sounds. There is a timid 

 caution expressed in every step, in the presence of the stranger, 

 which seems to fear the breaking of the smallest twig. This can 

 only be seen in parks where thej^ are subjected to semi-domes- 

 tication. It is destroj'ed by extreme fright of the wild deer 

 in the woods, and by close confinement in menageries. 



This ornamental coat, with which the fawns are born, not only 

 corresponds in color with the summer coat of the adult, — only 

 the ground is a deeper red and is brighter, and the white spots 

 are wanting in the latter, — but it also corresponds in the struc- 

 ture of the hairs, which, as we have already seen, differ widely 

 from the hairs of the winter dress. The latter are large, light, 

 and open or spongy, presenting large cavities filled with a pithy 

 substance and confined air, thus securing the maximum amount 

 of warmth, while the hairs of the former are small, hard, firm, 

 and elastic, much resembling in structure the haii's of the ox. 

 The fawn born in May sheds his ornamental coat in September, 

 about the time the adults change dresses, while later fawns carry 

 their first coat longer, but never more than the three or four 

 months assigned to young and old for the use of the summer 

 dress, if the animal is in health and fair condition. The new 

 coat which succeeds the first is of the texture and the color of 

 the winter coat of the adult. Now, for the first time, appears 

 the inner coat of fur, Avhich is found in the winter coat of all the 

 species, but is wanting in the summer coat, probably of all. 



Spots appear on about five per cent, of the adult Virginia 

 Deer in my grounds. These spots appear with the winter coat, in 

 September, and continue visible from three to six weeks. They 

 are not white, but simply a lighter shade than the ground color. 

 They are located in rows, on either side of the dorsal line, ex- 

 tending from the shoulders to the croup. The lines of spots are 

 about four inches apart on the loins, are less separated at the 

 shoulders and posterior extremities. There are sixteen of these 

 spots in each row from the shoulder to the hip, and five thence 

 posteriorly. They are a little larger than a dime each. The an- 

 terior ones are most distinct. On some specimens but a few 



