FORM AND SIZE. 121 
T have only the descendants from two does, both of which were 
medium in size and form, there is a great uniformity in their 
proportions among those which I now have. 
Of all our deer this is decidedly the most beautiful in form as 
well as graceful in motion. Whether standing quietly on the 
bank of a streamlet, or bounding through the forest, it equally 
challenges our admiration. It is the very embodiment of grace- 
ful form and agile motion. 
The Mexican Deer, which I find to be but a variety of C. Vir- 
ginianus, although it has been often ranked as a distinct species 
(C. Mexicanus), is much smaller than his northern brother, and 
this, as we shall see elsewhere, constitutes his only claim to a 
specific distinction. This variety of the Common Deer, I find no 
account of north of Arizona, and very rarely north of Mexico. 
They are not uncommon in Texas, but east of Texas in the Gulf 
States, they approach much nearer in size to the common variety 
found in their northern range. 
The next in size is the Barren-ground Caribou, or Arctic Rein- 
deer. In form it resembles the larger species, buti s slimmer in 
proportion to its length, and its legs are a little longer in propor- 
tion to its weight. The illustration is from a photograph kindly 
furnished me by Mr. McTavish of the Hudson’s Bay Company, 
whose kindness has been already mentioned. The largest speci- 
mens of this animal are found on the peninsula of Labrador, 
where they seem confined to a more southern range than those 
west of Hudson’s Bay. A large specimen may weigh one hun- 
dred and fifty pounds, but the average is much less. Ordinarily 
the hunter can easily throw it on his back and carry it to camp. 
The smallest of the North American deer which I have stud- 
ied, is the Acapulco Deer. None of the specimens which I 
have had, weighed over about thirty or forty pounds. The 
male which died in Governor Latham’s park, probably when 
in health would have weighed fifty pounds. The male which 
I now have, is not quite three years old and is the smallest 
I have seen and probably the youngest. I have seen a num- 
ber in California, but none as large as the female in my grounds, 
the measurements of which I give: — 
Inches. 
Length of head from between the ears to end of nose . a 103 
Space between the ears . . i ‘ ; ‘ . . 4 
Length ofear . . i . ‘ ‘ : é . 44 
Width of ear . ‘ . 3 
