HABIT AND DOMESTICATION. 283 



commenced a search for a fawn ; at last we saw it curled up in 

 the leaves, perhaps two hundred feet from the dam, who faced us 

 all the while. When she saw we had discovered it, and were 

 going towards it, she uttered a succession of threatening squeals 

 which sounded to us anything but musical, at the same time 

 walking slowly towards us, with an air and a gleam of the eye 

 not to be mistaken. We did not count the spots on that fawn 

 that day, but retreated in as good order as possible with our 

 faces to the foe. My friend, who was not used to the animal, 

 remarked — while I was admonishing him to show no signs of 

 fear but to retire as if it was quite voluntary — "I would give a 

 big check to be in that buggy now ! " Had we run from her, 

 we might not have won the race without trouble. 



At another time, when alone, I came across an old doe which 

 was very tame, and which I had very often fed from my hand. 

 She was licking her young fawn, probably not two hours old. I 

 spoke to her kindly, as usual, and she received me with great 

 cordiality, and when I petted her baby, and even lifted it to its 

 feet, she seemed pleased with my attentions, and rather proud 

 of her offspring. She had no fear that I would hurt her darling, 

 but rather remembered the many ears of corn 1 had given her, 

 and no doubt expected some then, as usual. It evidentl}^ did not 

 occur to her that I could hurt anything. She associated nothing 

 of harm with my presence, while in the other case, the mofiier 

 thought of nothing else, when she observed that we had found 

 her fawn. This one was never tame like the other, and so had 

 never received so many of my favors. But the amiable one was 

 not always amiable, and not always to be trusted. I once came 

 across her when walking through the park with my little daugh- 

 ter. I left her feeding the Elk, and walked away, perhaps to 

 pick some wild flower, and turned round just as the brute struck 

 at the child ; fortunately, she was not quite in reach. I spoke to 

 her in no very mild terms, and the blow was not repeated. There 

 was manifested a disposition to strike the child simply because 

 she knew it was unable to protect itself. 



The animosity to dogs seems to be much stronger in the fe- 

 males, and appears to be all the same with those that have young 

 and those that have not. If a dog gets into the park the does 

 always lead the chase, while the bucks go lumbering along be- 

 hind, as if rather to see the result than to join in the fray. 

 While the females show the ferocity of tigers, the bucks do not 

 seem to care very much whether the dog gets away or not. It 



