the most obscure thickets, lest they become
a prey to their numerous enemies. All the rapacious family of
the cat kind, with the wolf, the dog, the eagle, and the falcon,
are continually endeavouring to find her retreat, whilst the
stag himself is the foe of his own offspring. When she has
young, therefore, it would seem that the courage of the male is
transferred to the female, for she defends them with the most
resolute bravery. If pursued by the hunter, she will fly before
the hounds for half the day, and then return to her young, whose
life she has thus preserved at the hazard of her own.

[Illustration: ELAND (BULL). ELAND (COW).]

THE NEW VENISON.--The deer population of our splendid English
parks was, until a few years since, limited to two species, the
fallow and the red. But as the fallow-deer itself was an
acclimated animal, of comparatively recent introduction, it came
to be a question why might not the proprietor of any deer-park
in England have the luxury of at least half a dozen species of
deer and antelopes, to adorn the hills, dales, ferny brakes, and
rich pastures of his domain? The temperate regions of the whole
world might be made to yield specimens of the noble ruminant,
valuable either for their individual beauty, or for their
availability to gastronomic purposes.

During the last four or live years a few spirited English
noblemen have made the experiment of breeding foreign deer in
their parks, and have obtained such a decided success, that it
may be hoped their example will induce others to follow in a
course which will eventually give to England's rural scenery a
new element of beauty, and to English tables a fresh viand of
the choicest character.

A practical solution of this interesting question was made by
Viscount Hill, at Hawkestone Park, Salop, in January, 1809. On
that occasion a magnificent eland, an acclimated scion of the
species whose native home is the South African wilderness, was
killed for the table. The noble beast was thus described:--"He
weighed 1,176 lbs. as he dropped; huge as a short-horn, but with
bone not half the size; active as a deer, stately in all his
paces, perfect in form, bright in colour, with a vast dewlap,
and strong sculptured horn. This eland in his lifetime strode
majestic on the hill-side, where he dwelt with