778 The Zoologist— June, 1807. 



Soranierfeldt's paper, still on the whole agrees with it. This informa- 

 tion has on a former occasion been spoken of by him at the Academy, 

 and to some extent made use of by Mr. Sundevall, in bis work on 

 Swedish birds. Of the species included by Mr. Sommerfeldt one or 

 two are not mentioned by Mr. Nordvi ; but, on the other hand, this 

 gentlemen includes two which are not named in the above paper: 

 these two are — 



Par us borealis, which is said to be found during the whole year on 

 the Varanger Fjord, and 



P. ater, of which two specimens were said to have been seen a long 

 time ago, and one on the 12lh of September, 1859. 



H. E. Dresser. 



On the History and Habits of the Roe-deer. 

 By Edward R. Alston, Esq. 



Of few common European species is less generally known than of 

 the roe-deer (Cervus capreolus, Linn.) — a species which, for beauty 

 grace and agility, is perhaps unsurpassed by any other northern 

 quadruped. Even in Prof. Bell's excellent ' History of British Quad- 

 rupeds ' the account of the roe is neither exhaustive nor altogether 

 correct, and the remarks of Mr. Macgillivray (' Naturalist's Library,' 

 vol. xvi.) are not much fuller. I therefore make no apology for having 

 gathered all I have been able to learn from authentic sources as to the 

 life-history and habits of this most interesting species. 



The roe-buck reaches a height of about thirty inches at the shoulder, 

 and his average " clean " weight (that is, after being bled and dis- 

 emboweled) is in Scotland about thirty-five pounds, though fine bucks 

 often attain a weight of from forty to fifty pounds, or even more. In 

 summer his coat is coarse and of a reddish cast; this is changed in 

 September or October for a winter suit of much finer texture, and of a 

 peculiar yellow-gray tint, each hair being gray towards the root and 

 tipped with pale yellowish fawn. At this season I have observed that 

 roe-deer from the Highlands are of a lighter and purer gray than 

 those killed in the Lowlands. At all times the lips are marked with 

 pure black and white, the buttocks are white, and the lower parts and 

 inside of the limbs pale yellowish fawn. Albino roe are sometimes 

 killed : I have seen the skin of one in the collection of the Markgrave 

 of Baden, at Zwingenburg Castle, on the Neckar ; and a few years ago 



