294 BRITISH MAMMALS 



very long. These coarse hairs are but loosely implanted, and 

 easily come out. For a considerable proportion of their length 

 they are purplish-gray, but within a short distance of the tip 

 they turn either to reddish-brown or brownish-gray, according to 

 the season. This variation of colour in the longer hair causes 

 the animal's coat to look somewhat patchy and spotted at times 

 by the purplish-gray becoming visible under the lighter surface 

 of the tips. The colour of the roe, male and female, varies 

 markedly between the winter and the summer season. About 

 May the roe begins to assume its summer coat, which is a 

 foxy-red all over, though slightly paler, perhaps, on the belly, 

 the rump, and underneath the chin. Summer and winter alike, 

 however, the roe retains a very distinct mark on the face. The 

 naked skin of the muffle is black, and there are patches of jet- 

 black hair on either side of the nose, on the outer edge of the 

 muzzle, above and below the angle of the mouth. The front of 

 the muzzle and the chin are pure white. This black and white 

 nose and mouth gives rather an effective touch to the appearance 

 of the extremely pretty head possessed by this deer. The hair 

 inside the ears is yellowish-white, and the outer edge of the ear 

 and the tip are black. In the winter, that is to say, between 

 October and April, the fur is much thicker and coarser, and the 

 general effect of colour is brownish-gray, the lower part of the 

 hairs being much more of a blue-gray than the tip, which inclines 

 to brown. The general effect over the greater part of the body 

 is that of a dark brownish-gray, with a slightly reddish tinge 

 on the shoulders, behind the ears, and on the limbs, while the 

 brownish-gray strengthens almost into black as it nears the edge 

 of the rump. On the rump itself and the loose prominent hair 

 that juts out on either side of the stump of a tail there is a 

 patch of pure white in the winter season, so that at this time the 

 black line drawn across the muzzle on either side, the white lips, 

 and the white stern make the roe somewhat conspicuous. In 

 the winter season there is a tendency to white under the jaw, 

 and on the throat of the roe this may sometimes take the form 

 of a crescent-shaped band across the under side of the throat. 



