84 Mr. J. E. Harting on Forest Animals.
to the effect that the dark-coloured variety is said to have
been introduced from Norway by James I., can hardly be
deemed correct. He imported some, no doubt; in 1612 * they
were landed in Scotland, and were afterwards transferred to
Epping Forest and Enfield Chase. But we learn from
Leland that there were dark-coloured deer in England
long before that date.† Indeed, on this point I have lately
come across a much older authority than Leland, who
commenced his "Itinerary" in 1533.
Sixty-eight years before that date—namely, in 1465—the
Baron Leo von Rozmital, brother to the Queen of Bohemia,
visited England, and a most interesting record of his visit,
in the shape of an Itinerary written by one of his suite,
has fortunately been preserved to us, although, as may be
supposed, copies are extremely rare. In this journal,
which is in Latin, it is stated that, amongst other places
named, he visited Windsor Park, where he was particu-
larly struck with the great number of fallow-deer, which
are described as being black, white, and spotted. Thus
we have evidence of the existence of this dark variety
of fallow-deer in England long before the time of James I.
Another statement, which has more than once found its
way into print, ‡ to the effect that the spotted variety of
this deer was produced by crossing with the axis-deer
brought from Bengal by Capt. Gough in 1742, is incre-
dible ; the two animals belonging to such widely-different
genera, it is not likely that they would interbreed. More-
over, we know, from the Itinerary above quoted,
that the spotted variety existed in England in 1465.
James I., too, sent some as a present to the King of France
in 1608, more than a century before the introduction of
Capt. Gough's axis-deer.§
With regard to the reproduction of the fallow-deer,
the growth and shedding of its horns, and its food, the
* See Devon's Issues of the Exchequer (Pell Records), p. 150.
† Leland's "Itinerary," vol. vii., page 40, folio 50.
‡ Daniel, "Rural Sports," Supplement, p. 693. Scott, "British
Field Sports," p. 380.
§ Shirley, "English Deer Parks," p. 9.