ANIMAL NOTABLES 181 



subtle chemical changes in the body. Is not the sun the 

 source of energy, and does not a full moon often cause 

 sleeplessness ? 



" Four seasons fill the measure of the year, 

 There are four seasons in the mind of man." 



It is not fatigue alone that makes us sleep by night and 

 wake by day. A wonderful example of the way life is 

 " punctuated by the seasons and other internal periodic 

 influences " is the dependence of the mackerel supply 

 upon the amount of sunlight. Rightly do we speak of a 

 universe. But this is a theme worthy of Sir Thomas 

 Browne. 



A FEARFUL FAWN 



With reference to your article on " Animals' Love of 

 the Chase," in the Spectator of July 11, you may be 

 interested to hear of a delight in hunting on the part of 

 that usually hunted animal, the deer. A sambhur fawn 

 I possessed in India, of the age of four to six months, 

 made a practice of chasing all dogs that came into the 

 compound, and did so with every appearance of consider- 

 ing it the greatest possible fun. The dogs, on the other 

 hand, fled with their tails between their legs. The fawn 

 evidently imagined itself to be the guardian and protector 

 of the establishment. I have a vivid picture in my recol- 

 lection of the gentle little beast transformed into a perfect 

 fury, its coat bristling on end to make it look twice its 

 usual size, head and tail defiantly erect, stamping sharply 

 on the threshold with its dainty forefeet ; demonstrations 

 intended to frighten away two pariah dogs who cringed 

 before it on the verandah, yet showed a great desire to 

 intrude into the house. The dogs finally sneaked off, 

 depressed and defeated, and the conquering fawn 

 swaggered back into the room to be praised by me, 



