86 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



ments slightly differ from the male's, lady by eyesight at all. Another time 

 From what I have seen, I cannot think I hope to touch on this theme, obscure, 

 she is attracted by the liveliest male but deeply interesting. My attention 

 dancer or the largest in size the males was first drawn to it by a correspondent 

 differ much or the most satiny, at Loughborough last summer. If eye- 

 exacting or nice in her choice of a lover ; sight play no great part in this extra- 

 and more, I now have some doubts ordinary performance, why all the 

 whether the male seeks and finds his beauty show ? 



XVIII 

 ROE AND RED-DEER 



"The antler'd monarch of the waste 

 Sprang from his heathery couch in haste. 

 Like crested leader, proud and high, 

 Toss'd his beam'd frontlet to the sky ; 

 A moment gazed adown the dale, 

 A moment snuff'd the tainted gale. 



Far from the tumult fled the roe 



Close in her covert cover'd the doe." SCOTT. 



T^ROM the deep shade under the sensuous beauty of the wood pigeons 



spruce firs something was re- cooing hung on the still air, like the 



garding me half curiously, half shyly, heavy scent of hyacinths. 



More curious perhaps than fearful, Two forms slowly lined themselves 



since the roe knows a friend from an out against the red herbage ; whether 



enemy, and is not given to fear either the same pair or not were hard to tell, 



very much. A buck made some pretty, For the roe doubles, and appears again, 



half leisurely play, as he sought the as in some woodland game, and so 



cover, bounding lightly over tufts of multiplies. An involuntary exclama- 



faded bracken, and fallen branches, tion freed them from the spell, which 



He vanished like a gleam, she like a for a moment held them. The white 



shadow. patch at the base of the tail amid 



So, I kept on my way through the the sympathetic toning of all the rest, 



wood, disturbing the hen pheasants betrayed their passage, 



from their dream of housekeeping, This dash as of a careless brush, the 



among the fallen leaves. The soft, light as from a low burning lamp, may 



