COMMON ROE. ^97 



animal was stunned, and fell down as if he had 

 been dead. The shooter, who was near, seized 

 him by the foot ; but the Roebuck suddenly reco- 

 vering his senses and strength, dragged the man, 

 though he was strong and alert, thirty paces into 

 the wood. After killing him with a knife, we 

 discovered that he had received no other wound. 

 Besides, it is well known that flies are very trou- 

 blesome to the stag : when his horns are growiilg, 

 he retires to the deepest parts of the wood, where 

 the flies are less numerous : because, when they 

 fix upon the tender horns, the irritation they cause 

 is insupportable. Thus there is an intimate com- 

 munication between the soft parts of the horns, 

 and the whole nervous system of the animal. The 

 Roebuck, having nothing to apprehend from the 

 flies, because he renews his horns in winter, never 

 retires in this manner ; but he ^v^alks with caution, 

 and carries his head low, lest he should touch the 

 branches. 



As the female Roe goes with young only five 

 months and a half, and as the growth of the fawn 

 is more rapid than that of the stag, the duration 

 of her life is much shorter ; seldom extending, I 

 imagine, beyond twelve or fifteen years. I have 

 reared several of them ; but could never preserve 

 them above five or six years. They are very deli- 

 cate in the choice of their food, require a great 

 deal of exercise, fine air, and much room, which 

 is the reason why they are unable, except in the 

 first year of their growth, to resist the inconve- 

 niences of a domestic life. To make a pair of these 



