ROE-HUNTING. 49 



known many old sportsmen who have shot them all their 

 lives, and yet never killed a couple right and left. During 

 my whole shooting life I have only done so five times, and 

 yet few men have slain more roes. Blood-hounds are now 

 coming into vogue, instead of fox-hounds, for running them 

 out of thick coverts. From the truer nose, slower movement, 

 and more deep-toned voice of the blood-hound, he is certainly 

 far better adapted for the purpose. This noble dog is sup- 

 posed to be the lineal descendant of the old deep -fle wed 

 English slot-hound, or talbot ; and there is certainly little dif- 

 ference, except in colour. The prevailing hue of the talbot 

 was white ; that of the blood-hound is black and tan. All 

 the finer qualities of the talbot have been sacrificed in his 

 degenerate successor the fox-hound of modern days to 

 acquire the great desideratum, speed. 



Never " gralloch " l a roe near a favourite pass, unless you 

 wish it to le forsaken. 



The roe's sagacity in discovering real from apparent danger 

 is remarkable : the crouching shooter with his deadly gun is 

 instantly detected, while the harmless workman may even 

 blast a rock and cause no alarm. This fact I have been 

 assured of by men employed on the Highland road, who had 

 often seen the roes peeping at them from the cliffs above, 

 watching their whole proceedings without any signs of fear. 



The roe has no great kindliness for the fallow-deer. It is 

 a curious fact, that there are two large wooded islands in 

 Loch Lomond which the roes constantly frequent, without 

 ever crossing to a third, where deer are kept, though well 

 adapted to their habits. When swimming in and out of these 

 islands, the roes have regular passes as on land ; but if a boat 

 be near they will never attempt to cross. An English gentle- 

 man once wishing for a couple, a plan of catching them in 

 the water was thought of. For this purpose boats were con- 

 cealed near the passes, and the roes hunted out of the islands. 



1 Clean out the inside. 

 D 



