" HABITS OF ROE-DEER 23 



my sport I took a deliberate aim as he went quickly but 

 steadily on, and killed him dead. I happened to be alone that 

 day, so I shouldered my buck and walked home with him, a 

 three hours' distance of rough ground, and I was tired enough 

 of his weight before I reached the house. In shooting roe, shot 

 is at all times far preferable to ball. The latter, though well 

 aimed, frequently passes clean through the animal, apparently 

 without injuring him, and the poor creature goes away to die 

 in some hidden corner ; whereas a charge of shot gives him 

 such a shock that he drops much more readily to it than to q 

 rifle-ball, unless indeed the ball happens to strike the heart or 

 spine. Having killed roe constantly with both rifle and gun^ 

 small shot and large, I am inclined to think that the most 

 effective charge is an Eley's cartridge with No. 2 shot in it, 

 I have, when woodcock-shooting, frequently killed roe with 

 No. 6 shot, as when they are going across and are shot well 

 forward, they are as easy to kill as a hare, though they. will carry 

 off a great deal of shot if hit too far behind. No one should 

 ever shoot roe without some well-trained dog, to follow them 

 when wounded ; as no animal is more often lost when mortally 

 wounded. ' 



Where numerous, roe are very mischievous to , both corn 

 and turnips, eating and destroying great quantities, and as they 

 feed generally in the dark, lying still all day, their devastations 

 are difficult, to guard against. Their acute sense of smiellirig 

 enables them to detect the approach of any danger, when they 

 bound off to their coverts, ready to return as soon as it is past. 

 In April they go great distances to feed on the clover-fields, 

 where the young plants are then just springing up. In autumri, 

 the ripening oats are their favourite food, and in winter, the 

 turnips, wherever these crops are at hand, or within reach from 

 the woods. A curious and melancholy accident happened in a 

 parish situated in. one of the eastern counties of Scotland a few 

 years ago. Perhaps the most extraordinary part of the story, 

 is that it, is perfectly true. Some idle fellows of the village 

 near the place where the catastrophe happened having heard 

 that the roe, and deer from the neighbouring woods were in the 

 habit of feeding in some fields of high corn, two of them 

 repaired . to the place in the dusk of the evening with a loaded 

 gup, td wait for, the arrival of the de.er at .their nightly feeding- 



