vik<;iNiANrs. 117 



by the scent; and when two or more bucks meet, fierce conflicts en- 

 sue. In these engagements their antlers sometimes become inter- 

 locked, so that the combatants cannot free themselves, and both must 

 inevitably perish. My father has a set of locked horns that were 

 found, with the carcasses attached, frozen in the ice on Pine Creek, 

 in Lewis County, several winters ago. The body ot the larger buck 

 was in fair condition, while that of the smaller was much emaciated, 

 showing that the larger and more powerful had succeeded in forcing 

 his adversary's head to one side so that he could browse a little. 



Audubon and Hachman state that they once saw three pairs of 

 horns thus interlocked. What a wretched trio this must have been, 

 slowly starving in the midst of plenty ! 



At this season the bucks not only fight amongst themselves, but 

 occasionally attack man, and more than one unfortunate person has 

 been gored to death by them. In battle they make use of their horns, 

 and also of the fore feet, whose sharp hoofs are capable of inflicting 

 terrible wounds. I was once sitting quietly on a log in a Deer park 

 when a buck approached, and, making a sudden spring, dealt me such 

 a powerful blow on the head, with the hoofs of his fore feet, as to ren- 

 der me unconscious. No sooner was I thrown upon the ground than 

 the vicious beast sprang upon me, and would doubtless have killed me 

 outrio-ht had it not been for the intervention of a man whojrushed at 



o 



him with a club and finally drove him off. Both my father and myself 

 have been knocked flat upon the ground by being struck in the ab- 

 domen by the fore feet of a very harmless looking doe. 



As a rule, two fawns are born at a time, one being the exception. 

 Most of them are brought forth in May, a few being dropped as early 

 as the latter part of April, while others are postponed until the first 

 week in June. They are at first spotted, the spots usually remaining 

 about four months and disappearing in September, when both old and 

 young change their coats. Before the moult takes place they may 

 fairly be regarded as one of the most beautiful of North American 



