THE ROE-DEER, OR THE ROEBUCK. 47 



coat is much heavier, and seen in the winter light 

 against a faded landscape the general impression is 

 of dull brown. 



The face-markings are very attractive and dis- 

 tinct. The jet-black muzzle is set off by a sur- 

 rounding band of white, succeeded again by a band 

 of black, one feature showing off the other. The 

 black muzzle, the large, gray, black-rimmed ears, 

 and the great luminous eyes, appearing suddenly 

 from the undergrowth of the forest swamp, catch 

 the eye with a most striking impression of tense 

 alertness no less striking, indeed, than the flash- 

 ing white rump, which so often is all one sees of 

 the roe as it bounds lightly through the under- 

 growth. The object of this white rump may be 

 to assist the deer in following each other; or, 

 again, it may be taken as supporting the theory 

 that roe are among those animals which exist to 

 be pursued. 



ANTLERS. 



These vary considerably. Generally they rise 

 almost vertically for four or five inches, then fork. 

 The lower prong represents the brow antler of the 

 stag, and is for purposes of defence or attack. 

 There is a second fork two or three inches higher, 

 the rear prong of which points straight behind 

 the animal as it stands with head up. There 

 are occasionally as many as five points, but three 

 are more usual. Freak heads, including the 

 growth of a third and central antler, frequently 

 occur. 



Of the many antlers I have picked up, none 

 have exceeded ten inches from the coronet to the 

 topmost tip. 



The bucks drop their antlers about the end of 



