IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 369 



but my experience is against the practice, for, if 

 the hounds separate, one may be between you 

 and the deer, and "blanch" him as he is coming 

 straight to the gun. 



Now, at the risk of being called a man with 

 a single axe to grind, for I have so often men- 

 tioned the matter in print before, may I ask 

 why should we not be able to enjoy such sport in 

 England ? No animal is easier to introduce into 

 woodlands than the roe, which is not destructive 

 to any extent to crops, and which would form an 

 important factor in our supply of game. As it 

 is, very few ever find their way to the London 

 market, and most of these come from abroad. 

 It only involves the matter being brought to the 

 notice of our larger landed proprietors, and the 

 co-operation of smaller ones. The roe is a native 

 of our islands, and if people can be found to 

 attempt such expensive and questionable acclima- 

 tization as that of the wild turkey and Patagonian 

 hare, why should the little deer be neglected ? 

 I have never heard any argument but one used 

 against it, and that is that the presence of roe 

 in coverts interferes with fox-hunting. The 

 answer is simple. There are plenty of roe in the 

 Blackmore Vale, perhaps as good a provincial 

 hunting country as can be found, and plenty of 

 deer of all sorts in New Forest, where till recently 

 foxhounds hunted four times a week, and still 



2 B 



