DOMESTICATION. 538 
to pass out, he would dash up almost like a flash to go out with 
me. These visits to the Elk Park soon became disagreeable to 
him, so that when he saw me approach the gate leading into it, 
he would get before me, put his head against my legs and try to 
push me back or retard my progress as much as possible, and 
seemed to beg of me in every way in which he could convey his 
wishes not to go in there. I would frequently yield to his re- 
monstrances and turn away in another direction, when he would 
manifest his satisfaction by gamboling about in the greatest de- 
light. When he was allowed to follow me out of the park into 
the fields and meadows, he would scour away as if to try his 
speed, but in a few minutes would go to hunting about for some 
choice tufts of grass, and would sometimes get two or three hun- 
dred yards away, but he always kept a close eye upon me, and 
when he saw me going towards the park gate, though it was far 
away, would gradually lessen the distance, but so soon as I 
reached the gate, he would rush up at full speed and perhaps 
prance around as if very happy, or rub his head affectionately 
_against me. Who will blame me if I loved the little pet and en- 
joyed his company in my walks, and really mourned his loss 
when he died? He was not singular in his traits of intelligence 
and marks of affection. Before that, the female, already spoken 
of, exhibited the same disposition, though I think in a less re- 
markable degree, probably because I was not so well acquainted 
with the habits of the animal, and did not so well know how to 
develop these peculiar characteristics. 
They seem to be much more nearly allied to the antelope than 
to the deer family. I never observed one to show the least fond- 
ness for the society of a deer, but the young buck I have spoken 
of and the female gazelle from Asia, showed some inclination to 
associate together. Both showed the same disposition to follow 
me in my walks, though the gazelle would follow no one else, 
and was easily diverted from my companionship, by any choice 
spot for grazing she might meet with. If, for instance, she fol- 
lowed me into the North or East Park, she would often desert me 
before my return, and I would be obliged to leave her behind: 
and this at last cost the poor thing her life, for I once left her in 
the East Park, when some dogs broke in and killed her. I found 
her the next day in the corner by the gate, cruelly bitten and 
quite dead. I had less fear of dogs in the Elk Park, for if ever 
the elk see them there, they have no time to hunt anything but 
the place at which they came in. If ever I allowed this gazelle 
