RED-DEER HIND 9I 



usual subterraneous situation which the old one generally makes 

 choice of. Deer and roe fix upon the most lonely parts of the 

 mountain or forest for the habitation of their fawns, before they 

 have strength to follow their parents. I one day, some time 

 ago, was watching a red-deer hind with my glass, whose pro- 

 ceedings I did not understand, till I saw that she was engaged 

 in licking a newly-born calf. I walked up to the place, and 

 as scon as the old deer saw me she gave her young one a slight 

 . tap with her hoof. The little creature immediately laid itself 

 down ; and when I came up I found it lying with its head flat 

 on the ground, its ears closely laid back, and with all the 

 attempts at concealment that one sees in animals which have 

 passed an apprenticeship to danger of some years, whereas it 

 had evidently not known the world for more than an hour, 

 being unable to run or escape. 1 lifted up the little creature, 

 being half inclined to carry it home in order to rear it. The 

 mother stood at the distance of two hundred yards, stamping 

 with her foot, exactly as a sheep would have done in a similar 

 situation. I, however, remembering the distance I had to carry 

 it, and fearing that it might get hurt on the way, laid it down 

 again, and went on my way, to the great delight of its mother, 

 who almost immediately trotted up, and examined her progeny 

 carefully all over, appearing, like most other wild animals, to 

 be confident that her young and helpless offspring would be a 

 safeguard to herself against the attacks of her otherwise worst 

 enemy. I have seen roe throw themselves in the way of danger, 

 in order to take my attention from their young. No animal is 

 more inclined to do battle for her young ones than the otter ; 

 and I have known an instance of an old female otter following 

 a man who was carrying off" her young for a considerable 

 distance, almost disputing the way with him ; leaving the water, 

 and blowing at him in their peculiar manner ; till at last, having 

 no stick or other means of defence, he actually got so frightened 

 at her threats that he laid down the two young ones and went 

 his way. He returned presently with a stick he had found, 

 but both old and young had disappeared. Even a partridge 

 will do battle for her young. A hen partridge one day sur- 

 prised me by rushing out of some cover (through which I was 

 passing by a narrow path) and flying at a large dog which 

 accompanied me ; she actually spurred and pecked him, driving 



