Brockets 



Characters. — Size relatively large, and build heavy, the height at the 

 shoulder being about 27 inches. General colour of pelage glistening 

 brownish red, sometimes with minute dark tips to the hairs ; sides of neck 

 and flanks reddish gray ; throat, under surface of upper part of neck, and 

 inner side of thighs whitish gray ; tail brownish red above, white below and 

 at the tip ; a small whitish streak on the rump, a white spot on the front of 

 the lower lip, and a smaller spot on each side of the upper lip below the 

 nose ; antlers yellowish white. 



The large size, heavy build, and uniformly brownish red coloration 

 at all seasons and all ages (except the very young fawns), are the most 

 distinctive features of this handsome species. The type specimen 

 was obtained from Dutch Guiana, and is preserved in the museum 

 at Paris. 



Distribution. — 'Guiana, through Brazil, to Paraguay. 



Habits. — In Brazil, where it is known by the name of veado pardo, or 

 veado mateiro, this brocket is found alike in dense forests and on the open 

 campos, generally singly, and apparently only at certain seasons in pairs. 

 Like most deer, it is of an inquisitive, but at the same time of a very timid 

 and cautious disposition. It is nocturnal in its habits, issuing forth to feed 

 about sunset, and returning to its lair, which is generally under some thick 

 bush, soon after the sun is above the horizon. Various plants and the leaves 

 and young shoots of trees form its chief nutriment, but in the neighbour- 

 hood of cultivated lands it inflicts much damage on the crops, being very 

 partial to the young shoots of melons, budding maize, cabbages, and especi- 

 ally beans. The female gives birth, as a rule, only to a single fawn, which 

 is born in December or January ; the young animal being able to follow its 

 mother in from three to five days after birth. When danger is at hand, the 

 doe conceals her fawn in thick covert, and herself takes to flight. Where 

 the forest is not too thick, these brockets can be run down by good hounds 

 in half an hour or so ; if taken sufficiently young, the fawns can be readily 

 tamed. 



2. The Streak-eyed Brocket — Mazama superciliaris 



Coassus superciliaris, Gray, Proc. Zoo/. Soc. 1850, p. 242, plate xxv, Ann. 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol. ix. p. 432 (1852), Cat. Ungu/ata Brit. Mus. 



