FALLOW DEER, a dame) of deer native in southern Europe, northern Africa and eastward of Persia, rep resenting a group of Cerviche in which the antlers, borne only by the bucks, are round at the base, but are more or less flattened at the extremities. These deer were introduced into northern Europe many centuries ago and now are one of the common park deers of Great Britain and elsewhere, while still remaining wild in their native regions. In size they are small (three feet tall at the withers) and in color vary from fawn to dark brown, the fine soft coat ornamented with large whitish spots, which in some varieties have almost disappeared except in the fawns. The under parts, and lower side of the rather long tail are white. The antlers do not reach their full development until the fifth year. These deer assemble in large herds when free, and feed mainly on herbage, but are fond of certain other foods, especially hoise chestnuts, which the bucks knock off the trees with their antlers. They are favorites in parks because of their tame ness approaching confidently the persons with whom they are familiar and their flesh is re garded as the best of venison. Two or three
fossil species are known, from remains in recent deposits, indicating recent extinction. The most remarkable of these is the animal usually, but erroneously, called "Irish elk" de scribed below.
Giant Fallow In the peat-bogs of Ireland, and in caves and superficial deposits in Britain and on the Continent, have been found many skeletons of a fallow deer which surpassed even the moose in stature, standing six feet high at the shoulders, and carrying antlers that in some large specimens measure 11 feet from tip to tip. These antlers were broadly palmate, as in the moose, but their curled upward. There is much evidence that these magnificent deer continued to exist after the beginning of the human oc cupation of Europe, and probably owes its extinction to extermination by prehistoric man. A similar extinct species, Ruff's deer, is found fossil in Germany.