812 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
collected together many facts on this subject, tending to show 
the fertility of many hybrids produced from very distinct species, 
and some from distinct genera. Although many of the cases 
cited are of doubtful authority and may have been pressed into 
the service to support a favorite theory, enough is left to con- 
vince us that hybrids from some distinct species are uniformly 
fertile and in others they are exceptionally fertile. At any rate 
we may consider it too well settled to admit of successful con- 
troversy that fertility of offspring is not’ conclusive evidence that 
the parents were of the same species, although in the investiga- 
tion of that question it should by no means be overlooked. 
Indeed it is not improbable that some of our well established 
species, of quadrupeds, birds, fishes, and plants, may have had 
their origin in hybrid ancestors, although, as a general rule, we 
may expect that they would gradually revert to one or the other 
of the original parents. 
A hundred years ago Count de Buffon’ examined this. subject 
with great industry, and collected many facts tending to throw 
light upon it ; and I can do no better than to quote his conclusions 
as recorded in Smellie’s translation, London edition of 1812, vol. 
iv., p. 29. He says: “ However this matter stands, it is certain 
from what is above remarked, that mules in general which have 
uniformly been accused of sterility are neither really or univer- 
sally barren; and that this sterility is particularly apparent only 
in the-mule which proceeds from the ass and horse, for the mule 
produced by the he-goat and the ewe is equally fertile as its par- 
ents; and most of the mules produced by different species of 
birds are not barren. It is therefore in the particular nature of 
the horse and ass that we must search for the cause of the ster- 
ility of the mules which proceed from their union ; and instead 
of supposing barrenness to be a general and necessary defect 
common to all mules it should be limited to the mule produced 
by the ass and horse; and even this limitation ought to be re- 
stricted, as these same mules in certain circumstances become 
fertile, particularly when brought a degree nearer their original 
species.” 
I have for many years sought to produce hybrids from the va- 
rious species of deer in my grounds, but have succeeded in but 
four cases. The first of these was a cross between a male 
Columbia deer and a female mule deer, the second was bétween 
the Ceylon buck and the doe from Acapulco. The third was 
between a Virginia buck and a Ceylon doe, and the fourth was 
