Cariacou

Cariacou, Carjacou, a name for any species of Cariacus, an old subgenus of Cervus, confined to America; specially applied to C. virginianus, the Virginian deer, ranging over the northern continent up to lat. 15° N. In size it is rather less than the fallow deer (q.v.). The beams of the antlers turn outward and forward, and the brow-line is directed upward. The colour is variable: the male is reddish-brown in spring, slaty-blue in summer, and dull-brown in autumn; the fawn is ruddy brown with irregular white spots which sometimes run into stripes. The flesh makes excellent venison, and the skin, when properly dressed, is very soft and is not affected by water.