300 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



They appeared to thrive well when turned into the parks in 

 July, and showed no symptoms of salivation from the white 

 clover, which was so severe upon the mule deer tlie year before. 

 In the fall they were turned into the orchard and vineyard with 

 a pair of mule deer, a year or two older than they were. Here 

 they remained till early winter, when they were all returned to 

 the parks. In the late winter the Columbia doe died, having in 

 her two fawns sufficiently developed to show they were from the 

 Columbia buck. For the next two years I only had the buck of 

 this species. He continued as tame as any deer in my grounds, 

 but always manifested a morose if not a vicious disposition. 



At first, the doe, being a year the oldest, tyrannized over him 

 in a very undutiful way, but so soon as his spike antlers, nearly 

 seven inches long, were matured, the mastery was changed and he 

 returned her attentions in kind. While in the vineyard by them- 

 selves neitlier of the four deer seemed inclined to associate with 

 either of tlie others, but I always found them solitary, even dur- 

 ing the rutting season, although both does became enciente while 

 there by the bucks of their own species. I never saw either of 

 these bucks make the least attempt to chase the does, which is so 

 prominent a habit with the Virginia deer. 



During the next summer and after, so long as he lived, the buck 

 ranged the parks at will, but generally solitary. So soon as his 

 second antlers matured he showed such signs of viciousness that 

 I sawed them off, which reduced his threatening demonstrations, 

 but still his conduct seemed to say that he wanted to hurt some- 

 body. This was when he was two years old past, an age at which 

 I have never observed a Virginia buck to show the least wicked- 

 ness. He walked about the grounds, even while his antlers were 

 growing, with a slow and measured step, with his ears laid back 

 upon his neck, when there was nothing in sight to excite his ani- • 

 mosity. He would come to my call to take corn from my hand, 

 but he approached not with gladness but slowly and with that 

 everlasting leer, as if he would prefer to strike me rather than 

 take the corn. I think, however, that sometimes at least this 

 expression did him injustice, for he would frequently lay his 

 head upon my breast in an affectionate way as if to invite ca- 

 resses, which he seemed to enjoy. After his antlers were sawed 

 off he would follow a pedestrian in the road, for half a mile along 

 the fence, as if he would be glad to get at him. A month or six 

 weeks after his antlers were taken off, he somehow escaped from 

 the park and went up the road half a mile, when he met a man 



