OF SELBORNE. 79 
fupportable. The grand diftindion between this deer, and any- 
other fpecies that I have ever met with, confifled in the ftrange 
length of it's legs ; on which it was tilted up much in the manner 
of the birds of xhe gralU order. I meafured it, as they do an horfe, 
and found that, from the ground to the wither, it was juft five 
feet four inches; which height anfwers exaftly to fixteen hands, 
a growth that few horfes arrive at : but then, with this length of 
legs, it's neck w^as remarkably fliort, no more than twelve inches ; 
fo that, by ftraddling with one foot forward and the other back- . 
ward, it grazed on the plain ground, with the great eft difficulty, 
between it's legs : the ears were vaft and lopping, and as long as 
the neck ; the head was about twenty inches long, and afs-like ; 
and had fuch a redundancy of upper lip as 1 never faw before, 
with huge noftrils. This lip, travellers fay, is efteemed a dainty 
dilli in North America. It is very reafonable to fuppofe that this 
creature fupports itfelf chiefly by browfing of trees, and by 
wading after water plants ; towards v. hich way of livelihood the 
length of legs and great lip muft contribute much. I have read 
fomewhere that it delights in eating the nympkaa, or water-lily. 
From the fore-feet to the belly behind the flioulder it meafured 
three feet and eight inches : the length of the legs before and 
behind confifled a great deal in the tibia, which was ftrangely 
long; but, in my hafi:e to get out of the ftench, I forgot to meafure 
that joint exacftly. It's fcut feemed to be about an inch long; 
the colour was a grizzly black ; the mane about four inches long ; 
the fore-hoofs were upright and fliapely, the hind flat and fplayed. 
The fpring before it was only two years old, fo that moft probably 
it was not then come to it's growth. What a vaft tall beafl muft 
a full grown fiiag be 1 I have been told fome arrive at ten feet and 
an half! This poor creature had at firft a female companion of the 
fame 
