CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



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born a few minutes later. This pair of fawns was left and not dis- 

 turbed until they were 24 hours old (see Fig. 99). At subsequent inter- 

 vals thereafter I weighed and measured them with the following results : 



Female Fawn, Born July 9 



July 10 July 12 



Weight 6i pounds 6| pounds 



Length 23J inches 26 inches 



Tail 3 inches 3J inches 



Hind foot 9 inches 9i inches 



Ear from crown Si inches 4^ inches 



Height at shoulder (measured standing) 14^ inches 16 inches 



Metatarsal gland 2 inches 2 inches 



Male Fawn, Born July 9 



July 10 July 12 July lit 



Weight 6| pounds 11 pounds 7| pounds 



Length 23f inches 26 inches 27i inches 



Tail 3i inches 3i inches 3-5/16 inches 



Hind foot 9^ inches 9^ inches 9f inches 



Ear from crown 3| inches 4 inches 44 inches 



Height at shoulder (measured standing) 14| inches 17 inches 17 inches 



Metatarsal gland 2 inches 2g inches 2\ inches 



Color: The male fawn was much browner and notably darker on the dorsal 

 surface than the female fawn. The female fawn was very pale, almost tan, above. 



By July 20 only a few does (less than 10 per cent) remained that 

 were obviously heavy with fawn, but these gave promise of giving birth 

 to their young within the next few days. From time to time, extremely 

 late fawns have been known to be born as late as the middle of August. 

 However, it is believed that such fawns do not represent the normal 

 breeding season, but it is probable that in such cases fertilization did 

 not take place at the first mating. 



On July 14, 1929, a pair of fawns was born during the night near 

 our camp. An unsuccessful search for them was made soon after day- 

 light, although we knew that they could not be far away. Our retiring 

 from the scene gave the mother her much desired opportunity to return 

 to her young. This she did so skillfully that we were unable to follow 

 her as we had planned, but a subsequent search revealed her, together 

 with her offspring, hidden in a clump of marsh grass. The fawns, when 

 found, were still wet, and could not have been more than two or three 

 hours old. They were able to stand up for a few minutes at a time, but 

 the mother wisely made no effort to try to lead them away but kept 

 them hidden in the dense grass where she nursed and protected them. 



It was a matter of distinct surprise to me to find that when her 

 hour of trial drew near, the doe, instead of seeking seclusion in some 

 dense thicket or inaccessible boulder pile on the mountain side, went 

 out into the open meadow to give birth to her fawns, keeping them well 

 hidden for the first few days of their lives in the dense cover of sedge 

 or other tall marsh grass. 



In a number of instances I have been able to follow from birth the 

 wanderings of certain fawns. Thus in the instance of a pair of fawns 

 which were born on the ninth day of July, 1928, I carefully followed 

 them for the first nine days of their lives. I found that instead of hiding 

 her fawns close together or at the same place, this mother kept them 



