56 THE ROE- BUCK. 



The cry of the roe-buck * is neither so loud or fre- 

 quent as that which is made either by the fallow-deer 

 or stag; but the young ones have a particular manner 

 of calling to the dams, which the hunters imitate with 

 great success ; and by that means the poor creatures 

 are often drawn into the snare which has been insi- 

 diously spread. In America this animal is extremely 

 common, and there are great varieties in the breed ; 

 with us only two sorts are known, the largest of which 

 is red, and the smallest blown. 



THE ELK, OR MOOSE-DEER. 



Of all the quadrupeds (the elephant excepted) none 

 in size exceeds the Elk ,• it is an inhabitant both of 

 the old and new continent, though in North America 

 it is allowed chiefly to abound. Naturalists vary in 

 their description of this animal; and some of them de- 

 clare that it grows to the height of eleven feet. That 

 it doubtless is a creature of immense magnitude, may 

 easily be ascertained by the size of its horns, many of 

 which have been dug up in Ireland, and could only 

 have been supported by an enormous head. 



The European elk and the American moose-deer in 

 size and appearance are very much the same ; one of 

 the former kind was caught in a forest of Red Russia, 

 and exhibited some years ago at Paris as a sight. As 

 the creature was universally allowed to be very young, 

 it was impossible to say what would be its height ; but 

 it was then near seven feet from the ground, and ten 



* Tho female rocs rather better than five months with young, and ge- 

 ■erally produces two at a time. They seldom exceed the age of twelve 

 tr fourteen years j and if kept tame, scarcely live half that time. 



