146 ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



The European Roebuck. 



Capreolus Europasus, Smith. Cervus Capreolus, Linn. Chev- 

 reuil, Buffon. Roebuck, Pennant. Rehe, Redbock, German. 

 Kosa^Dikaja, Russian. Ibec, Tartarc^ 



The roebucks generally, according to the views^ of 

 major Smith, form a little group in the family of deer, 

 exclusively belonging to the Old World, where they repre- 

 sent the Mazama deer of North America, and the brockets 

 (Subulo) of Brazil and Paraguay. The common roe is 

 the smallest of European deer, being about four feet 

 long, and not standing higher than two feet eight inches 

 at the shoulders. There appears to be three varieties ; 

 one very red. another yellowish brown grey, and a third 

 nearly black : all these, however, have a white disk 

 upon the buttocks, at the root of the tail ; but this dis- 

 appears in their summer dress. Roebucks are found 

 over the greatest part of Europe, and the North of Asia ; 

 they are not uncommon in Scotland, but are scarcer in 

 England. It is an extremely graceful, active, and beau- 

 tiful animal : its eye is full of fire, and its limbs are 

 remarkably pliant : it loves elevated spots on the borders 

 of W'Oods, and leaps with great vigour. As it leaves a 

 strong scent, advantageous to the hunter, it is endowed 

 with peculiar sagacity to baffle the dogs. It begins,, 

 after a first dash forward, to double over its track, and 

 mislead the hounds ; then breaks the scent by taking 

 some ^prodigious bounds; and springing off towards a 

 cover, lies down, and lets the chase pass. The black va- 

 riety is confined to the duchy of Luneburg in Hanover. 



