THE DEER. 



THERE is nothing more beautiful in nature 

 than the sight of a herd of Deer cropping 

 the sweet and fragrant greensward, or cantering 

 along some wavy upland of a gentleman's park. 

 It is still one of the finest sights in England, 

 At Windsor, any day, you may see the graceful 

 creatures crouching or stealing through the for- 

 est-like glades of the Queen's domains. The 

 Fallow-deer is the variety most common in Great 

 Britian. 



There is always one Master Deer in the herd 

 that reigns like a king over his subjects. He 

 keeps away from the rest, followed at a little dis- 

 tance by two or three favorite Does. In fact, 



a ^ 



the more we observe the habits of animals, the 

 more we shall perceive that they are under a sort 

 of government, and the unruly and disobedient 

 are punished with blows of various kinds. 



Another variety of Deer is the Roebuck. It 

 is not like the Fallow-deer, fond of plains, but it 

 likes best the tops of hills. If caught when very 

 young, he is easily tamed, but at all times is a 

 dangerous pet. Some few years ago, a gentle- 

 man saw one at Brighton fastened with a heavy 

 chain. He asked the reason why the poor ani- 

 mal was thus fastened up — he looked so soft and 



gentle, that it seemed cruel to load him with fet- 

 ters. But it came out in conversation that he 

 had killed a boy only a few days before by but- 

 ting him fifty or sixty times with his sharp- 

 pointed horns. So, my children, if ever you see 

 any of these elegant creatures, mind that you do 

 not carelessly go near them, or arouse their 

 anger by irritating them. 



Now for the Reindeer. Observe the difference 

 between the Reindeer's horns, and those of the 

 Roebuck and Fallow-deer. Observe, too, how 

 thin and scraggy his form, as thougli he lived a 

 hard life. He is adapted to tlie cold country in 

 which he dwells. He is covered with long hair 

 so thick that the skin cannot be seen when it is 

 put aside. His horns grow in the usual way, but 

 when young they are very tender and sensitive, 

 and infested with Gnats. 



Towards the end of November the male loses 

 his horns, but the female keeps them till she be- 

 comes a mother. Perhaps this a providential ar- 

 rangement, that she may be able to defend her 

 young against the attacks of other animals. 

 There linger a few wild herds of these use- 

 ful creatures in Finmark and Lapland, but 

 they become less and less every year. The natives 

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