152 MR. J. E. HARTING ON CAPREOLUS CAPR^A. [Mar. 4, 



female T. lawesi is proportionately narrower, and its rostral portion 

 longer than in the skull of the male T. aculeatus. Both specimens 

 are quite adult ; in the T. lawesi, which is the larger of the two, 

 the limb-bones are, contrarily to what I expected, absolutely smaller, 

 shorter, and more slender than in T. aculeatus. There is also a 

 marked difference in the shape of the processus olecranoides of the 

 fibula, narrow in T. lawesi, broad in 7. aculeatus ; but I am unable 

 to decide whether these differences are merely sexual or specific. 



Mr. J. E. Harting, F.Z.S., exhibited and made remarks on some 

 horns of the Roe-deer {Capreolus caprcea) from Dorsetshire, con- 

 trasting them with Scotch horns of the same species, with which they 

 favourably compared. He remarked tliat Dorsetshire was now the only 

 English county in which the Roe was to be found in a truly wild state, 

 and detailed the steps which had been lately taken, under his direction, 

 to transport a few pairs to Ep[)ing Forest, the conservators of that 

 forest being desirous to introduce the animal into haunts where it had 

 been once common, but liad long become extinct. On the occasion 

 referred to, a couple were secured for the Society's Menagerie, 

 whither they were safely transferred, being presented by Mr. J. C. 

 Mansel Pleydell, of Whatcombe, and Mr. C. Hambro',' of Milton 

 Abbey, in whose woods tliey were captured. The nutnber of Roe- 

 deer at present roaming in the Milton, Whatcombe, and Houghton 

 Woods, which fringe the southern side of the Vale of Blackmore, 

 from Stoke Wake to Melcombe Park and the Grange Wood west- 

 ward, is estimated to be about 150. 



From enquiries made of experienced keepers on the spot, Mr. 

 Harting found that they discountenanced the generally accepted 

 belief that the Roe is monogamous, asserting that iu the breeding- 

 season they often saw a buck consorting with two, and occasionally 

 three does. As this did not tally with the statements of foresters 

 in Scotland and Germany, where the habits of the Roe-deer have 

 been attentively studied, Mr. Harting regarded it as an error of 

 observation, believing that the animals seen with the buck in the 

 rutting-season were probably a doe with a fawn or fawns, which 

 would not breed. 



In Dorsetshire tiie usual number of fawns produced at a birth is 

 stated to be two, and these are dropped in April or the beginning of 

 May, somewhat earlier than is the case with tlie Fallow Deer. In 

 winter they are found scattered in little parties of three or four to 

 ten or a dozen throughout the woods. 



The following papers were read : — 



Z.J). 



