18 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. n. 



CHAPTER II. 



Roe : Mischief done by Fawns Tame Roe Boy killed by Roe Hunting 

 Roe: Artifices of Shooting Roe Unlucky shot Change of colour 

 Swimming Cunning Roe. 



As the spring advances, and the larch and other deciduous 

 trees again put out their foliage, I see the tracks of roe and the 

 animals themselves in new and unaccustomed places. They now 

 betake themselves very much to the smaller and younger plan- 

 tations, where they can find plenty of one of their most favourite 

 articles of food the shoots of the young trees. Much as I like 

 to see these animals (and certainly the roebuck is the most per- 

 fectly formed of all deer), I must confess that they commit great 

 havoc in plantations of hard wood. As fast as the young oak 

 trees put out new shoots the roe nibble them off, keeping the 

 trees from growing above three or four feet in height by con- 

 stantly biting off the leading shoot. Besides this, they peel the 

 young larch with both their teeth and horns, stripping them of 

 their bark in the neatest manner imaginable. One can scarcely 

 wonder at the anathemas uttered against them by proprietors of 

 young plantations. Always graceful, a roebuck is peculiarly so 

 when stripping some young tree of its leaves, nibbling them off 

 one by one in the most delicate and dainty manner. I have 

 watched a roe strip the leaves off a long bramble shoot, begin- 

 ning at one end and nibbling off every leaf. My rifle was aimed 

 at*his heart and my finger was on the trigger, but I made some 

 excuse or other to myself for not killing him, and left him un- 

 disturbed his beauty saved him. The leaves and flowers of the 

 wild rose-bush are another favourite food of the roe. Just before 

 they produce their calves the does wander about a great deal, arid 

 seem to avoid the society of the buck, though they remain to- 

 gether during the whole autumn and winter. The young roe is 

 soon able to escape from most of its enemies. For a day or two 

 it is quite helpless, and frequently falls a prey to the fox, who at 



