150 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
among the coarse hairs next the skin, and contributes largely to- 
the warmth of the dress, which, like all the rest, constitutes a 
very warm covering, and enables the animal to endure the 
severest weather without complaint, if he can but get enough to 
eat. Indeed it is so complete a non-conductor of heat that snow, 
which he has left upon the leaves when he makes his bed, is not 
thawed in any appreciable degree but only compressed. This 
under coat of fur is not found with the summer coat, which con- 
sists of rather fine, firm, and elastic hairs. On some specimens 
this summer coat is of a light buff color, while on others it is of a 
bright mahogany bay or red, while others may show every inter- 
mediate shade between these two extremes. 
We now come to the smallest of the North American deer, a 
description of which I have not been so fortunate as to anywhere 
meet, except by a single allusion elsewhere mentioned. 
The color of the Acapulco Deer resembles much that of the 
Virginia and the black-tailed deer, though more the latter than 
the former. In its black face, however, it is more like the Vir- 
ginia deer, and so of the white under the belly, a darker shade 
than either generally prevailing. On this deer, however, the 
white of the belly commences at a point in the middle just back 
of the fore legs. At this point it will be remembered that the 
white on the belly of the Virginia deer commences in a fork, 
being divided in front by the black stripe on the brisket. This 
feature, that the white on the belly of the one is divided in front 
and so forked, while on the other it commences in a single point 
anteriorly, being constant, is worthy of special attention. At the 
umbilicus the white has widened out till it involves the entire 
width of the belly, the inside of the thighs and extending up pos- 
teriorly to the seat of the tail, the color of which is described in 
the appropriate place. This small species, as well as the Ceylon 
deer, fades much less in color than do the larger species. In the 
spring, when the winter coat is cast off, it still preserves its darker 
shades, and the rufous tinge remains to the last, though faded 
very appreciably. The persistency of the deeper colorings is so 
great as to render the animals conspicuous, when promiscuously 
intermixed with a more numerous band of common deer. 
The face of this deer is black, though not very intense, the 
black growing narrower and less intense below the ears and con- 
siderably lighter down the cheeks. The light band around the 
eyes is wanting in its upper half or above the eye, but is present 
below. The ear on the outside is black, and white on the inside, 
