In my original work I remarked, that wild animals were generally
either white, brown, or grey; and that such as fallow-deer, rabbits,
&c. became white, from being kept in a domestic state, but M. l'Abbé
de la Viletta, in a letter dated June 17, 1773, informs me, that they
are sometimes so in their natural state; for a man belonging to his
brother, who had an estate near Orgelet, in Franche-comté, brought home
two old roe-deers, one of which was of the common colour, and the other
a female perfectly white, having only black hoofs, and a black spot at
the end of her nose.
M. de Fontenelle, the king's physician, at New Orleans, in a letter
to me, says, that roe-bucks are very common in North America, that
they entirely resemble those of Europe, except being somewhat larger,
particularly in Louisiana, where he thinks they are nearly as big again
as those in France. He says they are very easily tamed, as does M.
Kalm, who asserts, that he had a roe-buck which went every day to the
woods, and returned to his house regularly every night. According to M.
de la Borde, there are four kinds of stags at Cayenne, indiscriminately
called hinds, whether males or females. "The first are called wood, or
red hinds, which constantly inhabit the thickest part of the forests.
The second, which are bigger, though of the same colour, are called
the barallou hind; both of these species have two considerable glands
on each side of the nostrils, containing a white foetid humour. The
third is called the Savanna hind, which is of a grey colour, and more
common than either of the others; neither are they so large, though
their horns are longer and more branched: they are called Savanna
hinds, because they seek out the lands covered with marshes; they feed
upon the manioc, and are very destructive to plantations. Their flesh
is excellent food, and far preferable to that of European stags. They
are so tame at Cayenne, that they run about the streets, and go in and
out of town without discovering the smallest degree of apprehension.
The females are said even to go into the woods after wild males, and to
return again when they have got fawns. The last is called the caricou;
he is less than either of the others, his colour is a light grey, and
his horns are straight and pointed. He keeps himself entirely to large
woods, and never ventures near parts that are inhabited; they are,
nevertheless, very easily rendered tame and familiar; and the females
produce but one fawn at a time." Notwithstanding the stress which has
been laid upon these remarks, I am of opinion, that all these pretended
species of stags or hinds, as above described, are merely varieties
of the roe-buck, which are more numerous in the new than in the old
continent, and which I apprehend will fully appear to such as compare
those descriptions with our history of the mazame, or Mexican deer.