232 COMMON BRTTISn ANIMALS 



century some few packs were kept for hunting roe 

 deer in England, but they are now usually coursed 

 down or shot. 



Mr. Millais is of opinion that '^" by far the best 

 sport with the roe buck is obtained by stalking it 

 with the rifle, in the early mornings of summer and 

 autumn. . . . The delight of the rifle shooter 

 is to ' still hunt ^ or stalk the roe in his broken fast- 

 nesses in that most delightful time of the year when 

 no other sport with gun or rifle oifers itself .^^"^ 



The same sportsman considers the venison of the 

 roe is not esteemed, in this country, as it should be. 

 Between April and the end of September, the roe 

 buck should be shot for his head only, but from the 

 end of October to March, it is in fine condition for 

 the table. The meat is diy, unless carefully cooked, 

 being very lean. 



The chief enemies of the roe are foxes and 

 eagles. They kill numbers of fawns paid will often 

 attack a full-grown animal. 



Another enemy is the roe-fly, a kind of bot-fly which 

 enters the body with the food, and works its way to 

 a position between the flesh and skin of the flank. 

 Here it causes a large swelliug, from which the full 

 groAvn fly escapes in June and July. They also 

 suffer from liver-fluke and tape-worm. 



Few amongst us ha.ve had the opportunity of 

 watching the wild roe deer in their native haunts as 

 Mr. J. G. Millais has, but we cannot fail to ap- 

 preciate his description of the sight. He says :t 



* ' Autvimns in Argyllshire,' " British Deer and their Horns." 

 t ' Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland,' vol. iii, p. 168. 



