13 
in January last. Tliough anything but fat, this first essay of the 
quality of English eland venison satisfactorily coiToborated the 
cliaracter unaniniously given to it by Afiican s^jortsmen, travellers, 
and colonists ; the verdicts were taken in not a few gastronomic 
laboratories—royal, noble, and scientific.* 
Nothing can be more stately than the eland, leading out his family 
along the lovely sloiies of Hawkstone, where “ a great rocky ridge 
rises in the midst of tlie park, and stretches nearly through it, 
affording every variety of shelter. There the pale tawny flanks of 
the antelope glisten in the morning light; infinitely surpassing the 
dun deer in colour, while they rival them in grace, and their great 
size makes them immediate objects of attention. Their clean small 
legs, full of power, push them over hill and dale at a tremendous 
pace; and if au obstacle opposes, their faculty of leaping is almost 
incredible compared with their weight.” 
In order to bring the information relative to the breeding of the 
eland up to the last moment, I took the liberty of writing to Lord 
Hill, who most kindly sent me, a day or two ago, the following 
particulars:—‘‘ The elands are going on very satisfactorily, notwith¬ 
standing the wet and cold they have been exposed to during the 
last summer, having no shed or indulgence of any kind since they 
were turned out in the paik in May; they are, however now in a 
large paddock with a shed in it. I have been most successful in 
breeding and rearing them, not having lost one. I have now six 
females and three males, and I hope four of them are in fawn, which 
will make a good herd next season.” By the kindness of ]\Ir. 
Bartlett, I am enabled to give the present stock of elands in the 
Zoological Society’s Garden, viz.: — five females and one male, all 
doing well, and in good health. 
* The following is a note on eland and eland venison, by the Hon. J. 
Berkeley: — The elands are at present in a paddock at Taymoiith Castle, in 
the park of the black deer. They do very well; and there are at this 
moment two young ones bred there, who seem to be perfectly acclimatised. 
There is no sort of reason why they should not do well in all our j)ark.s, 
chases, and forests, as, when at large, there w*ould be no more danger in 
them to m;m than in the red deer. As to the editorial remark ajjpended to 
tlie question asked by A. B. in the last Field, the trial, at the dinner alluded 
to, of the llesh of the eland was not a fair one; the eland then dressed was 
not in season, and therefore no decisive opinion could have been formed as to 
fat flesh, or flavour. In passing, I would observe that it is conlinement or 
being in a lialf-tame state, that makes animals dangerous to man. The 
common fallow deer is so wlien reared by hand. The bison, the eland, the 
wapiti, the elk, the American anteloiie, if acclimatised and permitted to rnn 
wild in large parks or forests, would fly the presence of man; and my opinion 
is that the elk, from his knov'ledge of and ability to clear away the snow, 
Would thrive in the Higldaud deer forests. These, and thousands of other 
animals and birds, domestic and wild, might be ma(le available to tlie United 
Kingdom by the labours of the Acclimatisation Society. 
