169 



from eight to nine inches long, upright, round, and 

 divided into three branches. The body is covered 

 with very long hair, well adapted to the rigour of its 

 mountainous abode. 



As the stag frequents the thickest forests, and the 

 sides of the highest mountains, the roebuck courts 

 the shady thicket, and the rising slope. Although 

 far inferior in strength to the stag, it is more active. 

 and even more courageous. Its hair is always smooth 

 clean, and glossy ; and it frequents only the dryest 

 places, and of the purest air. Though but a very 

 little animal ; yet, when its young arc attacked, it 

 faces the stag himself, and often comes off victorious. 

 All its motions are elegant and easy ; it bounds 

 without effort, and continues the course with little 

 fatigue. It is also possessed of more cunning in 

 avoiding the hunter : and, although its scent is much 

 stronger than that of the stag, it is more frequently 

 found to make good a retreat. The stag never offers 

 to use art until his strength is beginning to decline ; 

 ihis more cunning animal, when it finds that its first 

 eiibrts to escape are without success, returns upon 

 its former track, again goes forward, and again re. 

 turns, until by its various windings, it has entirely- 

 destroyed the scent, and joined the last emanations to 

 those of its former course. It then by a bound, goes 

 to one side, lies flat upon its belly, and permits the 

 pack to pass by very near, without, offering to sfir. 



The roe-buck differs from the stag also, in its 

 natural appetites, its inclinations, and its whole habit 

 of living. Instead of herding together, these ani- 

 mals live in separate families, the sire, the dam, and 

 the young ones associate together, and never admit a 

 stranger into their little community. All others ot" 

 the deer-kind are inconstant in their affection ; but 

 the roe-buck never leaves its mate : and as they have 

 been generally bred up together, from their first fawn- 

 ing, the male and female never after separate. 



They drive away their fawns upon these occasion*?, 

 the buck farcing them to retire in order to make 



T0L. I. I 



