to eight or nine inches. Mr. Lydekker in his recent work on Deer1 says that
the antlers of the Fallow Deer ‘ are shed somewhat earlier in the spring than
those of the red deer.’ This, however, is not the case, as the horns are generally
cast about a fortnight to a month later than those of red deer. In a similar
manner the horns of Fallow bucks are a fortnight to a month later in being
completed. A pair of dropped Fallow buck’s horns usually weigh from three to four
pounds, but exceptionally fine ones rather more. Two very large pairs picked up
at Petworth in the spring of 1900 I found to weigh 6 lb. 8 oz. and 6 lb. 6 oz.
The following are the measurements of the largest British Fallow buck
heads, as taken by myself (with the exception of the New Forest heads).
British F allow Deer
W h
Circumference
Tip to
tip
Extreme Width
Points Locality Owner
5 iPi 7 30 England Sir Douglas Brooke.
4f 261 4i 10+9 Drummond Castle, N.B. J. G. Millais.
4* 22 7 16+10 Drummond Castle, N.B. Earl o f Ancaster.
41 12+ 13 Petworth, Sussex J. G. Millais.
30 2 37f Haddon Hall, Yorks Duke o f Rutland.
28* 7i 14+13 Petworth, Sussex J. G. Millais.
28* 4 H i 26 6 i o + l l Woburn Duke o f Bedford.
(inside)
2Sb 6 19 Colebrooke, Ireland Sir D. Brooke.
2 7i 4* 14 3r a 6-1 15 + 20 Petworth, Sussex J. G. Millais.
New Forest Fallow Deer
New Forest Hon. G. Lascelles.
26 , 4i titel, 24 - New Forest Hon. G. Lascelles.
Epping Forest horns seldom exceed twenty inches, with a narrow palm of
from one to two and a half inches.
1 The Deer o f a ll Lands, by R. Lydekker, 1898.
a Measurements sent to me by W. St. Quintin and taken by Captain Walker.
3 Weight of skull and horns without lower jaw, 8 lb. 1 oz. This is the finest example I have seen.
* These New Forest heads usually carry from twelve to twenty points, and of these the Hon. G. Lascelles writes : ‘ Most of
the finest heads, especially old Deer, differ very much from the normal form of a park head. The palmated part is in these
heads very much split u p -so much so as to look like red deer heads with an abnormal number of points, and almost to lose
the palmated character altogether. Some, indeed, have lost it entirely.’