52 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



are simply roasted, and I never saw any one partake of them 

 who did not say they were the most delicate and delicious of 

 all venison. My brother, who had both red and fallow deer 

 in perfection, decidedly gave the palm to roe when in 

 condition. 



From the Baron's other assertion, that " the roe may be 

 hunted at all times alike," I differ more completely than 

 about the quality of its venison. The usual autumn an- 

 nouncements that " brought down a couple of stags 



and a fine roebuck," or " several harts and a couple of roe- 

 deer in fine condition," scarcely need comment. The deer 

 are killed at their best time of year, and are, of course, as 

 fat as they can be ; while the poor roes are massacred out of 

 season, being simply carrion. Until they exchange the red 

 hair for the mouse-coloured, they are only bags of bones cov- 

 ered by some dark dry flesh, with not a particle of fat. The 

 summer coat begins to change for the winter one in Sep- 

 tember, being complete in November, before which time no 

 roes should be shot. Eed-deer harts, on the contrary, never 

 come into prime order until they are divested of the winter 

 grey, and have assumed the rich red of the sporting season. 



When the woods are thick with leaves, it is very difficult 

 to force a roe into open ground at all ; but instinct also 

 warns it not to come into view when at its weakest state. 

 Thus, whether for sport or food, the roe should never be 

 hunted except for the short time they are, or ought to be, in 

 their prime ; and if this rule is broken, they will equally 

 disappoint the hunter and the gourmand. 



Eoes shed their horns from the middle of December till 

 January, and are then at their best. They begin to fall off 

 in February ; and by the beginning of March they are useless 

 as food till the next roe-hunting season in November. 



There are two methods of hunting the roe, the choice of 

 either depending on the extent of the woods and on the 

 nature of the country. In extensive, unbroken, and irnper- 



