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



till having rested himself, and the hounds having made a wide 

 cast, fancying that he had left the place, the buck took an 

 opportunity to slip off unobserved, and crossing an opening in 

 the wood, came straight up the hill to me, when I shot him. 



The greatest drawback to preserving roe to any great extent 

 is, that they are so shy and nocturnal in their habits that they 

 seldom show themselves in the daytime. I sometimes see a roe 

 passing like a shadow through the trees, or standing gazing at 

 me from a distance in some sequestered glade ; but, generally 

 speaking, they are no ornament about a place, their presence 

 being only known by the mischief they do to the young planta- 

 tions and to the crops. A keeper in Kincardineshire this year 

 told me, that he had often early in the morning counted above 

 twenty roe in a single turnip-field. As for the sport afforded by 

 shooting them, I never killed one without regretting it, and 

 wishing that I could bring the poor animal to life again. I do 

 not think that roe are sufficiently appreciated as venison, yet 

 they are excellent eating when killed in proper season, between 

 October and February, and of a proper age. In summer the 

 meat is not worth cooking, being dry, and sometimes rank. 



