THE ROEBUCK. 473 



of the ears are white ; there is a white spot on either side of 

 the lips ; the nose is brown. The antlers are round, rough, and 

 consist at most of only three pointed extremities. 



The roe does not associate in large herds, and more than 

 four are rarely seen together. The buck is said to be mono- 

 gamous, choosing a partner for life, and evincing the most 

 constant regard for her, and therefore a couple is as many as 

 are usually seen together ; and when four are observed together, 

 they are generally the parents and their young. In their 

 mountainous haunts, they exhibit astonishing boldness and 

 agility in bounding over the ground, or in leaping from one 

 precipice to another. Mr. Tytler says, that their usual pace 

 is a long, rather awkward canter j but when suddenly startled, 

 their bounds are the most rapid and beautiful that can be 

 conceived, and that he has seen one of them bound, without 

 much apparent effort, across a road nearly twenty feet wide. 



" From the thick copse the roebucks bound, 



The startling red-deer scuds the plain, 

 For the hoarse bugle's threat'ning sound 

 Has roused their mountain haunts again." 



(Scott's Cadyow Castle.) 



They often descend from their favourite haunts to eat the 

 corn and peas growing in the neighbouring fields, feeding 

 entirely in the grey of the morning and evening. They pair 

 in November. The doe goes with young five months, and 

 brings forth usually one, not unfrequently two fawns, in the 

 month of May. At that period she retires to the thickest 

 cover to drop her offspring -, but in about a fortnight both 

 parent and fawn emerge from the lair, yet she still protects 

 it with great care and boldness. The fawn does not acquire 

 its antlers till the second year, and then they are merely simple 

 snags ', in the fourth year it has antlers with two pointed 

 extremities 5 and from the next year it has regularly three 

 extremities to each successive pair. 



The venison of this species is not esteemed, and even when 

 in the best condition, there is scarcely any fat under the skin. 



