64 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



ing to their hills again when the storms abated, exactly like 

 deer. In my Highland shootings, however, I never noticed 

 any decrease of roes when the winters were at their roughest ; 

 and had there been an exodus from my woods I must have 

 perceived it, as I always knew well before Christmas what 

 roe-deer were on the ground. 



One of the most curious sporting incidents I ever knew in 

 connection with roes happened in 1869 in the near wood of 

 Ballimore. My son and the game- watcher were ferreting there 

 with an Italian greyhound, very expert at coursing rabbits. 

 When the ferrets were searching the holes, Myrtle ran off on 

 a warm track, but soon apparently brought her game to bay. 

 Presently she gave a yell of pain and rushed back, pursued by 

 a female roe, which overtook her within thirty yards of the 

 ferreters, striking her such a pounder on the back that it left 

 its mark for a week afterwards. The next day, when again 

 after rabbits in the same wood, the little dog set full cry after 

 one ; but immediately the grunt of the doe rang through the 

 trees, and Myrtle appeared flying before her in abject terror, 

 taking refuge with the rabbiters, the roe dodging close round 

 them, showing every sign of fury. 



The most extraordinary part of the whole was, that several 

 days afterwards, when the dog sprang a rabbit at the far end 

 of the wood, the moment the doe heard her bark, it came 

 bounding a full mile to where it heard the sound, while 

 Myrtle, terrified by the roaring and crashing of the bushes, 

 dashed back to her protectors at high-pressure speed. Of 

 course the doe had her fawn in that wood ; but such fierceness 

 in its defence showed the surpassing power of maternal in- 

 stinct, which had so completely changed the nature of the 

 timid roe. 



