THE ROE-DEER 183 



noise is inevitable. On the whole, I think the best 

 plan is to go up the ridge on the side of the 

 gully farthest from that in which you intend 

 hunting. Of course, there may be game in the 

 gully below you, but a certain amount of risk 

 is unavoidable. By adopting this plan the gully 

 in which you suspect game is undisturbed ; you 

 will not be seen, and are safe from the wind. 

 Having skirted the top of the side gully, you 

 can choose your own place from which to spy, 

 and all your ground is below you. The wind 

 is always variable, and it is impossible to rely 

 on it when making plans in advance. 



Roe-deer (Capreolus bedfordi) are widely dis- 

 tributed throughout China. They are rather 

 larger than the European variety (Capreolus 

 caprea), standing about 80 in. at the shoulder. 

 There is no white patch on the nose, at least I 

 never saw one thus marked. In summer their 

 coats are very red, changing in the winter to 

 a dark brownish grey. 



We saw plenty of these little deer in the 

 Poayii-kou Valley, but found it an extremely 

 difficult matter to get a good head, though there 

 were several about. However, I shall have some- 

 thing to say about this later. Mr. A. W. Purdom, 

 an experienced botanist who had been travelling 

 in China for two years collecting specimens, and 

 whom we met at Taochow, tells me there is a 

 very good roe ground four days to the north of 

 Sian-fu. They are also plentiful one day's journey 

 from Minchow. The altitude at which they are 

 to be found varies considerably. The greatest 

 height at which we met them was between 10,000 



