THE RED DEER. 31 



If found and gently handled, particularly if allowed 

 to satisfy its burning desire to suck one's fingers, 

 it will follow like a dog, and may prove very 

 difficult to get rid of. In the Algonquin forests 

 of Canada a little Whitetail fawn struck up a 

 friendship in this way with the writer and his 

 companion, and all attempts to scare it off proved 

 utterly fruitless. 



There is no more beautiful and graceful creature 

 than a little red deer fawn. To look at it is to 

 lose one's heart to it; and when older and able 

 to scamper after its mother, it is indeed the fairy 

 spirit of the mountain-dells materialised. 



A mountain-hind generally begins to breed in 

 her third year; that is, she consorts with the 

 stag when two and a half years old, and gives 

 birth to her fawn the following summer. Most 

 of the calves are born in June or early July, 

 the earliest offspring appearing towards the latter 

 end of May. Two at a birth is very unusual, 

 though it occurs sometimes, and, according to 

 the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, was by no means 

 uncommon with the Martindale deer. As a rule, 

 hinds living in a wild state do not breed annually, 

 though this would appear to be dependent upon 

 feeding conditions. A tame deer may breed 

 annually after maturity ; and at Hatfield Broadoak 

 Forest a hind produced offspring annually for ten 

 years, though she apparently paired with her own 

 progeny. 



The fawns follow the dams till autumn. If the 

 mothers then join the herd of a master-stag, the 

 male fawns are apt to be forcibly ejected, and 

 thereafter are compelled to fend for themselves. 

 The stag allows his consorts to be accompanied 

 by their hind calves, and consequently the young 



