262 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



absence of tlie pencil of dark hairs aronnd the white which sur- 

 rounds the gland, is sufhcient to justify us in setting up a new 

 species or retaining an old one. Many individuals from each re- 

 gion may be met with exactly alike in color, only this little dark 

 pencil of hairs is almost universally found on those native here, 

 and generally wanting on those grown there. 



The tarsal gland and the tuft of hairs covering it on the Vir- 

 ginia Deer, are just alike on all the varieties. It is larger than 

 on any of the other species. It is pear-shaped, and is placed 

 with the small end upwards, from the upper end of which the 

 tuft gradually rises to its lower broad extremity, where it ter- 

 minates abruptly. The hairs composing this tuft are white, but 

 are generally more or less stained, so that at first we would often 

 suspect them to be of another color, and very frequently the cen- 

 tre of the lower extremity of the tuft is stained to a deep black 

 color for a space the size of a dime or larger. It is, however, 

 only the extreme tips of the hairs that are stained sufficiently to 

 show when they lie compactly together. Let but a dog come 

 along on the outside of the fence and look in, and these tufts on 

 every deer near enough to notice him, will immediately rise up 

 and spread out, presenting the appearance of a great snow-ball 

 of the purest white on the inside of each hock, and not a trace 

 of the stains will be observed. 



Lastly, we come to my little Acapulco Deer, which may be soon 

 disposed of, for as previously remarked, the metatarsal gland is 

 entirely wanting, as it is on the moose and the caribou. But the 

 tarsal gland is present, with the tuft of hair covering it of a good 

 size, considering the size of the animal. It bears the same gen- 

 eral appearance as on all the other species, except the moose, but 

 is of the same color as the regions surrounding it. 



The want of the metatarsal gland separates it more distinctly 

 from the Ceylon Deer in my grounds than any other character- 

 istic, though it is something smaller in stature, and the antlers 

 differ somewhat, as we have seen, when that branch of my sub- 

 ject was considered. The tarsal gland is present on this Ceylon 

 species as well, resembling much those on the others, while the 

 gland on the outside of the leg is situated lower down, and is 

 much smaller than on any of the other species (see Fig. 8, p. 258). 

 A few white hairs are observed about this gland, though the tuft 

 is so small as to elude detection, except on a close examination. 



Dr. Gray expressed the opinion when he first suggested the im- 

 portance of the tufts of hairs covering these cutaneous glands as 



