54 THE ROE 



be taking a stroll just before sunrise. Something had 

 moved three doe roes which, without seeing me, came 

 at a lively canter across the park, bounded airily over a 

 wire-fence and wide ditch within twenty yards of me, 

 and disappeared in the wood. Of a truth the sight 

 caused a mere biped, clad in thick tweed and heavily 

 shod, to feel his hopeless inferiority in grace and 

 movement. 



Mr. J. G. Millais has so vividly described how the doe, 

 normally so nervous and timid, displays exceeding 

 boldness in defence of her young that I crave leave to 

 quote the passage : 



1 1 was waiting with Ross one evening in 1891 at Kiltarlity 

 for a buck to come out of a wood. The doe and her two 

 calves had already appeared, and fed in front of us for 

 nearly an hour. Up to this time the wind had been favour- 

 able ; but a puff of man-tainted atmosphere must have been 

 borne to her on some back eddy, for we witnessed a most 

 interesting display of maternal love. Without looking in our 

 direction or giving us to understand that she was aware of 

 our presence, I saw her walk quietly up to the calf nearest 

 to her and press it down over the rump with her chin. The 

 little one dropped at once out of sight and, seeming to 

 apprehend that there was danger, did not move again. The 

 mother then walked slowly to her other calf which was some 

 distance away, and tried to treat it in a similar fashion ; but 

 the little fellow was enjoying his dinner too much, and, 

 refusing to squat, galloped away in a circle. She pursued 

 the delinquent closely and, again and again pressing it down 

 with both foot and chin, forced it to the ground, where she 

 held it for a few seconds. The clever roe then ran close up 

 to our position, cocked her ears, looked straight in our faces, 

 and, emitting a loud bark, galloped away.' l 



1 The Mammalt of Oreat Britain and Ireland, vol. iii. p. 172. 



