48 THE FALLOW DEER. 



professed destroyer, whom perhaps she has still more 

 reason to fear ; and, when hunters and hounds are in 

 search for her concealment, she frequently presents her- 

 self to their view, and, by leading them from the spot 

 where her young are treasured, preserves their exist- 

 ence by the forfeiture of her own. 



THE FALLOW DEER. 



Though the stag and fallow-deer bear so striking a 

 resemblance, no two^ animals are more distinct in their 

 kind; and such a determined animosity seems to subsist 

 between them, that they never will herd in the same 

 place. As the size of the fallow-deer is not equal to the 

 stag, so it never acquires so much vigour or strength; it 

 is seldom found wild in forests, but is at once the orna- 

 ment and luxury of the great. The trifling variation be- 

 tween the stag and the buck chiefly consists in the forma- 

 tion of their horns ; those on the former, spreading flat 

 like the palm of the hand; and those on the latter being 

 circular, and in every part round : the tail of the fallow- 

 deer is likewise rather longer, and the hair on the body 

 not quite so dark. The buck, like the stag, is an animal 

 for the chase, but is not allowed to afford equal sport ; 

 when hardly pressed, it will seek security in the water ; 

 but neither in flight or swimming can it compare with 

 the stag. Dissentions about pasturage frequently occur 

 amongst these animals,when the herd immediately divide 

 into two parts, and commence an engagement for the land 

 of preference, which the victorious party ever after re- 

 tain. In England there are two sorts of the fallow-deer ; 

 the spotted kind, which is supposed to have been brought 

 from Bengal; and the very deep brown, which is so com- 

 mon in this isle, which were originally introduced from 

 Norway by James the First. The Spanish fallow-deer are 



