171 



THE COMMON ROEBUCK. 



Capreolus dorcus. GESNER. 



PLATE XV. 



Cervus capreolus of Authors. Chevreuil, Buffon. Roe or 

 Roebuck of English writers. 



THE common Roe or Roebuck is one of the most 

 elegant of our native deer, and forms a most appro- 

 priate and beautiful object in the woods and copses 

 of the Scottish Highlands. In Scotland, north of the 

 Forth, it. is every where abundant, where rock and 

 wood abounds; so much so, as in some places to be 

 condemned to extirpation, from the damage done to 

 the young wood. It delights in what may be called 

 the lower coverts, the civilised woods, and leaves 

 those of sterner character, more solitary and wild, 

 to be frequented by that pride of the north, the Stag 

 or Red Deer. South of the Forth, it is very rare, 

 one or two wilder parks only possessing a few ; but 

 frequent traces of its former abundance is found in 

 the border counties, remains and skeletons being 

 almost yearly disinterred from most of the larger 

 peat mosses : in the rugged woods of Westmore- 

 land and Cumberland it still abounds. On the con- 



