Observations on Young Mammals. 10 



^ 



age seems very wonderful in a ruminant. "When the doe 

 ■with fawn is approached by a horseman, even when accom- 

 panied with dogs, she stands perfectly motionless, gazing 

 fixedly at the enemy, the fawn motionless at her side ; and 

 suddenly, as if at a preconcerted signal, the fawn rushes 

 directly away from her at its utmost speed, and, going to a 

 distance of six hundred to a thousand yards, conceals itself 

 in a hollow in the ground or among the long grass, lying 

 down very close with neck stretched out horizontally, and 

 will thus remain until sought by the dam. When very 

 young it will allow itself to be taken, making no further 

 effort to escape. After the fawn has run away, the doe 

 still maintains her statuesque attitude, as if resolved to 

 await the onset, and only when the dogs are close to her 

 she also rushes away, but invariably in a direction as 

 nearly opposite to that taken by the fawn as possible. At 

 first she runs slowly, with a limping gait, and frequently 

 pausing as if to entice her enemies on, like a partridge, 

 duck, or plover when driven from its young ; but as they 

 begin to press her more closely her speed increases, 

 becoming greater the further she succeeds in leading them 

 from the starting-point." 



Of the sheep on the pampas, the same author tells us * 

 that the first instinct of the newly born lamb is to struggle 

 up on its feet ; its second to suck ; and its next important 

 instinct, which comes into play from the moment it can 

 stand on its feet, to follow after any object receding from 

 it, and, on the other hand, to run from anything approach- 

 ing it. " If the dam turns round and approaches it from 

 even a very short distance, it will start back and run from 

 her in fear, and will not understand her voice when she 

 bleats to it ; at the same time it will confidently follow 

 after a man, dog, horse, or any other animal moving from 



* Loc. tit, pp. 106-108. 



