Siberian Roe 227 



May. There may be either one or two of these latter produced at a 

 birth ; and the older writers state that in the case of twins they are 

 always male and female. The buck strictly confines his attentions 

 to a single doe ; and it appears that the union is renewed for several 

 seasons, if indeed it does not last for life. In defending her helpless 

 young, which are carefully concealed among thick covert, the doe displays 

 great boldness. 



When their curiosity is specially excited, roe exhibit even more bold- 

 ness than the generality of deer, as is well illustrated by the following 

 anecdote vouched for by Messrs. Harvie-Brown and Buckley in the volume 

 already cited. " For nearly twenty minutes," they write, " a buck, close 

 to Glenborrodale Castle, Ardnamurchan, stood within fifteen yards of 

 where three gentlemen were seated. They carefully abstained from mov- 

 ing in the slightest degree. The buck stamped his feet, and went round 

 them in half circles, and not until he at last got wind of them did he fly. 

 Then he rapidly wheeled round, and with a snort of alarm disappeared in 

 the thick wood." 



Nomenclature. — With regard to nomenclature, the European roe by 

 many modern naturalists would be termed Capreolus capreolus. Not 

 admitting this combination, the earliest post-Linnean name applied to the 

 living form has been selected ; but this is antedated by the name fossilis 

 given to fossilised remains, and this accordingly has the right of priority, 

 although its application to a living species would be unsatisfactory, even if 

 it really rank as a specific title. 



2. The Siberian Roe — Capreolus pygargus 



Cervus pygargus, Pallas, Reise Russ. Reichs, vol. i. p. 453 ( 1 77 1 ) ; 

 Noack, Humboldt, vol. viii. p. 7 (1889). 



Cervus aim, Gmelin, Reise Russ. vol. iii. p. 496 (1780). 



Cervus (Capreolus) pygargus, H. Smith, in Griffith's Animal Kingdom, 

 vol. iv. p. 122, v. p. 314 (1827). 



Capreolus pygargus , Gray, List Mamm. Brit. Mus. p. 176 (1843), ^ at - 

 Ungulata Brit. Mus. p. 223 (1852), Cat. Ruminants Brit. Mus. p. 82 (1872) ; 

 Gloger, Handbuch Naturges chic lite, p. 141 (1841) ; Fitzinger, SB. Ak. Wien, 

 vol. lxviii. part i. p. 353 (1873), lxx. part i. p. 248 (1874) ; Brooke, Proc. 



