306 ROE PEER. 



at the passes through which it is wont to issue when 

 pursued. Its flesh is dark-coloured, and rather dry, 

 and is not so much esteemed as that of the Red 

 Deer. 



The Roe is one of the most elegantly formed of 

 our native quadrupeds : its body is moderately full, 

 the limbs long and slender, the neck of moderate 

 length, and rather thick, the head tapering, the 

 muzzle rather narrow, the eyes large and full, the 

 ears long and pointed, the tail extremely short, not 

 being apparent among the fur. The hair is close, 

 stiff, of moderate length, in texture and form resem- 

 bling that of the Red Deer, being undulated, and 

 internally spongy or cellular, with a slight inter- 

 mixture of short woolly hairs. The undulated hairs 

 are light purplish-grey for three-fourths of their 

 length, then dusky, with the tip light yellowish- 

 brown. The upper parts are of a yellowish-brown 

 colour, or of a minute intermixture of dusky and 

 yellowish-brown; the hind neck and broad band 

 along the back darker ; the sides of the head and 

 neck light yellowish -grey, as are the lower parts of 

 the body ; the inner sides of the limbs, and the feet. 

 The lips are whitish, as is a large space under the 

 tail, conspicuous, when the animal is seen running > 

 by its contrast with the colour of the upper parrs. 

 The ears are of the general colour on their back 

 part, the long woolly hairs of the inner or anterior 

 surface reddish-white, their terminal margin black. 



