ANTELOPES AND DEER 129 



interesting, even if most of them are mythical in their origin, and 

 a writer in The Animal World says that — 



"A hind appears in the arms of the City of Edinburgh in memory 

 of the animal which was said to have preserved the patron saint of 

 the city, St. Giles, or ^Egidius, from dying of hunger and thirst 

 when he retired as a hermit to a forest near Nismes, and the animal 

 came day by day that he might refresh himself with her milk. 

 His retreat was finally discovered by the King of that region in 

 starting the ' milk-white doe ' as he was out hunting and following 

 her till she took refuge at the feet of the pious anchorite, who was 

 often depicted with the head of the hind resting on his knees. 



"An Irish legend tells how St. Benin, or Berichert, a noble Saxon, 

 who came and settled in Munster, and was a disciple of St. Patrick's, 

 began to build a church at Tullylease, near Charleville, in Co. Cork. 

 To manifest God's pleasure at the work a beautiful snow-white hind 

 came every morning before sunrise and shed milk into a rough 

 stone trough in a neighbouring field, the quantity being each time 

 sufficient for the need of all the persons employed on the building 

 for the day, but they were warned not to be curious, and strictly 

 forbidden to go near the stone while the hind was there. However, 

 one of the masons could not restrain his curiosity, but hid himself 

 in a furze-bush to watch and alarmed the animal, who kicked a hole 

 in the stone, so that all the milk ran through, and darted away, 

 never returning to the spot, and the workmen were obliged to seek 

 elsewhere for milk. A rude stone trough still stands in a field near 

 ' St. Ben's well ' at Tullylease, and there is a hole to be seen in it 

 to this day. It is known as ' Cloc na Eilit ' (the hind's stone). 

 People suffering from headaches, who come to pay their rounds at 

 the two holy wells here, end by saying a ' round ' of their rosary at 

 Cloc na Eilit, and then, stooping, rub their heads around the bowl ; 

 this is done thrice in the names of the Holy Trinity, and is thought 

 a certain cure for headaches." 



AXIS, CHITAL, OR SPOTTED DEER.— This Deer (Fig. 96) strik- 

 ingly reminds one of the Fallow Deer last under consideration. It 

 is an inhabitant of India and Ceylon, is about the same size as 

 the Fallow Deer, and is characterized by the large white spots 

 which are admirably shown in the photograph. It is stated that 

 the spotted coat acts as a sort of protection to this species, "the 

 covering harmonizing with dead vegetation and the flecks of sun- 

 light passing through the dense foliage." 



