HYBRIDITY OF THE CERVIDZ. 313 
between the Virginia buck and the Acapulco doe. In the first 
case the male was three years old, in full health and vigor, and 
the female was two years old, in fine condition. During that sea- 
son there was no buck of her own species about the place old 
enough for service. She did not receive the Columbia buck, with 
which she had been long acquainted, till six weeks after the usual 
season. Before the fawn was dropped she had become sickly 
and both the mother and offspring died within four months after. 
I had previously kept the same male with an older female 
mule deer confined together in a small inclosure for some 
months during the proper season, but she refused all his advances 
persistently, nor did he manifest much ardor in the pursuit. The 
year before I had kept this same female mule deer with a male 
of the same species, and a female Columbia deer with this same 
male of that species in the vineyard, and each doe produced a 
pair of fawns true to their species, although the male of C. ma- 
crotis was older and stronger than that of C. Columbianus, and 
always manifested a hostile disposition towards him, so that it 
was clearly the choice of the female which determined the pater- 
nity. 
In the second case, both male and female were in fine condi- 
tion ; had been brought from California in the same cage, and for 
a time at least after their arrival associated much together; and 
I had no male deer of the same species with the female, and still 
they passed by the ordinary season without coupling, and the 
union only took place six months later, and the offspring when 
produced was still-born, or at least was dead when found. 
The next fall the Ceylon buck met with an accident and died 
before the rut. In his absence the Ceylon does associated, prob- 
ably reluctantly, with a Virginia buck, from which the oldest 
produced two hybrids, and the youngest one. These were born 
after the usual season, but have always been healthy and vigor- 
ous, and partake largely of the qualities of the sire. They are 
nearly as large as the Virginia fawns of the same age, and the 
tuft of hair over the metatarsal gland is so conspicuous that 
it may be seen nearly as far as on the Virginia deer, while on 
their mothers it can only be seen on very close inspection. All 
the Ceylon does have freely bred to the Virginia buck ever since. 
The Acapulco doe which had reluctantly bred to the Ceylon 
buck six months after the usual time, after his death refused the 
advances of the Virginia buck for the first season, but finally 
submitted, and produced two fine hybrids, which, by November, 
