14 2 British Deer and their Horns 
simply came in the first place as sports, and were isolated and allowed to form a herd of their 
own, from which again others followed. 
C. The Red or Deep Dun-coloured Variety. —This form is certainly the most uncommon. 
It has a richer shade of red in the coat than the true type, and slightly paler towards the 
under-parts ; the neck is generally much darker and the face generally has a whitish muzzle. 
The coat varies very little in colour either in summer or winter, and there are no traces oj spots. 
D. The White Variety. —Very few perfect albinoes exist, those with dark eyes being more 
common. The white herd at Welbeck, Notts, is a beautiful sight. They are at first glance 
for the most part pure white, but when looked at with a glass many have the darker hairs 
THE HERDS OF WHITE, RED, AND FALLOW DEER, WELBECK, 1 896 
of the light spotted variety showing in the forehead. In this herd the calves occasionally 
revert to the original type, and are then killed. 
At Sledmere is another white herd, though the fawns are mostly dark cream colour when 
born, getting lighter afterwards. A pretty variety is the result of the cross between the white 
variety and the original type. 
It is hardly necessary here to mention the parks in which fallow deer are kept, for all 
readers so interested probably have Whitaker’s and Shirley’s works on the subject. It may be 
stated, however, that more land is given over to parks and deer in the county of Sussex than 
any other, and in that county amongst others is situated Petworth, the property of Lord 
Leconfield, which contains to-day the finest fallow deer I have seen in England. The average 
of this herd is exceptional. It is many years now since there was any fresh blood introduced, 
and there is little doubt that the herd, which is a big one, numbering nearly six hundred, 
should receive some newcomers. 675 acres is the extent of the range, and the park contains 
