332 THE RED DEER. 



borders of the forest,, and graze on the cultivated 

 lands, where they find nutriment in abundance, 

 and where they remain until their strength is 

 restored. 



The females go somewhat more than eight 

 months with young, producing their offspring 

 about the latter end of May, or the beginning of 

 June. Each female seldom brings forth more than 

 one young one; and this she always takes care to 

 conceal in the most obscure thickets, not only to 

 preserve it from the attacks of beasts of prey, but 

 even from the observation of the Stag, which 

 otherwise would inevitably destroy it. At this 

 season, the courage of the male seems transferred 

 to the female. She defends it, against the less 

 formidable tribes of enemies, by force ; and when 

 the hunter approaches, she even offers herself to 

 his pursuit, in order to lead him from the principal 

 object of her concern. She will fly before the 

 hounds for several hours, and will then return to 

 her fawn, whose life she has thus preserved at the 

 hazard of her own. 



Deer, if caught whilst young," will continue, for 

 some time, tame and familiar in confinement ; but 

 it is said, by Sonnini, that when they approach 

 towards maturity, they always become violent and 

 ill-tempered, and are then oftentimes extremely 

 furious. In one of the small inclosures in the 

 Botanic Gardens at Paris, there was a Stag, which, 

 after he had gradually pined away for many years, 



it 



