270 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



C. There is some animal in the oat field : don't you 

 see its brown back above the tops of the grain ? 



F. Ha ! it is a Deer (Cervus Virginianus)\ they often 

 come out of the woods to feed on the standing grain at this 

 season : but it is not very usual for them to come in the day- 

 time. Let us approach cautiously, and we may get a view of 

 it without alarming it. They are very fond of salt, and I 

 have been told that farmers sometimes sprinkle a little about 

 the place where they have been seen, so that if they return 

 and find the salt, they may be induced to repeat their visits 

 to the spot, while the fanner lies in wait with his rifle. 



C. It has taken the alarm. How jealously it looks 

 round ! and now, there it goes off to the woods. How grace- 

 ful its motions are ! it does not run, but proceeds by light 

 bounds : now it is lost in the forest. It is a doe, as it has 

 no horns. 



F. This species is found from the St. Lawrence to the 

 Gulf of Mexico. I once saw a young tame one in the State 

 of Alabama, which was allowed the range of a large field, 

 and would often come to the house, and prance about the 

 lawn. I could not help admiring the beauty of the animal, 

 and the grace of every motion. It would approach me if I stood 

 quite still, stretching out its pretty head, and taper neck, to- 

 wards my hand ; but it was so extremely timid, that at the 

 slightest stir, its whole body and every limb would start, and 

 on the least motion it would bound away, then stop, and turn, 

 and look again. When standing still, it would be continually 

 starting in this way, and when it trotted or walked, it lifted 

 its little feet so high, and bent its slender limbs as if motion 

 itself were a pleasure. It would occasionally stand a few 

 moments, with one fore-leg bent up, the hoof nearly touching 

 the belly. Its long and graceful ears were almost ever in 

 motion, now directed forwards, now backwards, now erect, 

 to catch the slightest sound. The large swimming black eye 



