THE DEER KIND. 33 



the roe finds its firfl: efforts to efcape without fuccefs, it returns on its 

 former track, again goes forward, and again returns, till by its various 

 windings, the fcent is entirely confounded, and the laft ennanations 

 joined to thofe of its former courfes. It then, by a bound, goes to 

 one fide, lies flat on its belly, and permits the pack to pafs by without 

 offering to ftir. 



Thefe animals live in families j the fire, the dam, and the young 

 ones i and never admit a ftranger. All the deer kind are inconftanc 

 but the roe- buck, who never leaves its mate; as they have been gene- 

 rally bred up together from fawns, their attachment is ftrong, perma- 

 nent, and mutual. The female fawns in May ; goes with young five 

 months and an half j which diftinguilhes this animal from all others of 

 the deer kind, that continue pregnant more than eight. 



The female retreats to the thickeft woods, being not lefs appre- 

 henfive of the buck than of the wolf, the wild cat, and other 

 ravenous animals j generally produces two, very rarely three. In 

 about ten or twelve days thefe are able to follow their dam, except 

 purfued. On fuch occafions, the tendernefs of the dam is extraordi- 

 nary ; leaving them in the deepeft thickets, fhe off*ers herfelf to the 

 danger, and flies before the hounds, to miflead them from the retreat 

 of her little ones. Such animals as are not beyond her power, fhe 

 boldly encounters } attacks the fl:ag, the wild cat, and the wolf ; ene- 

 mies, which, in conjunction with mankind, have diminilhed the fpecies. 



The fa.-wns follow the deer eight or nine months. They (hed their 

 horns the. latter end of autumn, and renew them during winter. When 

 they falJ, and new ones appear, the roe-buck does not forfakc its 

 ufual haunts, but keeps down irs head to avoid ftriking its horns againfl: 

 the branches of trees, the pain of which it feems to feel with cxquifitc 

 fenfibility. It feldom is found to live above twelve or fifteen years i 

 if kept tame, not above fix or feven. They may bt fubdued, but 

 never domeft:icated, or be made familiar : inhabits mofi^'parts of Europe, 

 in Tartary and China, not Africa. Uncertain whether an Americao. 

 animal of this kind is of this fpecies, or one refembling it, that is 

 very numerous, as well in Louifiana as in Brafil. 



G2 



