II CUNNING OF ROE-DEER 25 



water, and even arms of the sea. I have known roe caught 

 by boatmen in the Cromarty Firth, swimming strongly across 

 the entrance of the bay, and making good way against the 

 current of the tide, which runs there with great rapidity. 

 Higher up the same firth, too, roe have been caught when in 

 the act of crossing. When driven by hounds, I have seen one 

 swim Loch Ness. They are possessed of great cunning in 

 doubling and turning to elude these persevering enemies. I 

 used to shoot roe to fox-hounds, and one day was much amused 

 by watching an old roebuck, who had been run for some time 

 by three of my dogs. I was lying concealed on a height above 

 him, and saw the poor animal go upon a small mound covered 

 with young fir-trees. He stood there till the hounds were close 

 on him, though not in view ; then taking a great leap at 

 right angles to the course in which he had before been running, 

 he lay flat down with his head on the ground, completely throw- 

 ing out the hounds, who had to cast about in order to find his 

 track again ; when one bitch appeared to be coming straight 

 upon the buck, he rose quietly up, and crept in a stooping 

 position round the mound, getting behind the dogs. In this 

 way, on a very small space of ground, he managed for a quarter 

 of an hour to keep out of view of, though close to, three capital 

 hounds, well accustomed to roe - hunting. Sometimes he 

 squatted flat on the ground, and at others leaped off at an 

 angle, till having rested himself, and the hounds having made a 

 wide cast, fancying that he had left the place, the buck took 

 an. opportunity to slip off unobserved, and crossing an opening 

 in the wood, came straight up the hill to me, when I shot 

 him. 



The greatest drawback to preserving roe to any great 

 extent is, that they are so shy and nocturnal in their habits 

 that they seldom show themselves in the daytime. I some- 

 times see a roe passing like a shadow through the trees, or 

 standing gazing at me from a distance in some sequestered 

 glade ; but, generally speaking, they are no ornament about a 

 place, their presence being only known by the mischief they do 

 to the young plantations and to the crops. A keeper in 

 Kincardineshire this year told me, that he had often early in 

 the morning counted above twenty roe in a single turnip-field. 

 As for the sport afforded by shooting them, I never killed one 



