DEE 
England, there are two kinds of Fallow-Deer, 
which are faid to be of foreign original ; namely, 
the beautiful dappled kind, fuppofed to have been 
imported from Bengal ; and the very deej^ brov/n 
fort, now fo common in many parts of this king- 
dom, which were brought from Norway by King 
James I. who, while there, obferved that they were 
fo hardy, as to be capable of fubfifting throughout 
the brumal feafon without fodder, even in that in- 
hofpitable climate. He firft introduced fome of 
them into Scotland, and from thence into his 
chaces of Enfield and Epping in the vicinity of 
the palace of Theobalds; that monarch being ex- 
travagantly fond of the diverfion of hunting. Since 
that time, they have multiplied in many parrs of 
the Britifh empire ; and England is at prefent more 
celebrated for it's venifort than any other country 
On the terraqueous globe. 
The flefh of the French Fallow- Deer is much 
inferior, both in fatnefs and flavour, to that fed in 
Englilh paftures. The Spanifh Fallow-Deer have 
more flender necks, and are as large as ftags, but 
of a browner colour. Labet informs us, that in 
Guiana, a country of South America, there are 
Deer without horns, and much fmaller than thofe 
of Europe, but refembling them in every other 
particular. They are very lively, and excefTively 
timid ; and, when purfued, Ihelter themfelves in fitu- 
ations where no other animals are capable of fol- 
lowing therti. The negro hunters watch for them 
in fuch narrow paths as lead to their ufual places 
of pafture, and fhoot at them as foon as they ap- 
pear in fight. Their flefh, though feldom fat, is 
confidered as a great delicacy. 
All animals of the Deer kind feem equally ufe- 
ful, though their venifon is by no means equally 
good. The ufes to which their fkins are applied 
are too well known to need mehtionirtg; their 
horns, which are very ferviceable in Vai'ious me- 
chanical operations, abound alfo with that kind of 
fait which forms the bafis of the fpirit of hartfhorn ; 
and, after thefe falts are extradted, their remains, 
when calcined, become a valuable aftrihgeilt, and 
anfwer many falutary rhedicinal piii-pofes. 
Deer, Roe-Buck. This animal, which inha- 
bits Tartary and China, is alfo found in moft parts 
of Europe, even as far northward as Norway ; and 
Charlevoix fays, that it is pretty common in North 
America. It was formerly a native of Wales and 
the northern parts of England ; but at prefent the 
fpecies no longer exifl:s in any part of Great Bri- 
tain, except in the Highlands of Scotland. 
The Roe-Buck is one of the leaft of the Deer 
kind known in oilr climate, being only about three 
feet in length, and two in height. The horns, 
which meafure eight or nine inches, are ereftj 
round, and divided into three branches ; thfe body 
is covered with very long hair, well adapted to the 
rigours of it's mountainous retreats ; the lower part 
of the hair is cinereous ; near the extremities there 
is a narrow bar of black ; and the points are yellow. 
The hair on the face is black, tipped with afh- 
colour; the ears are long, their infides being of a 
pale yellow, and covered with long hair ; the chefl, 
belly, legs, and infides of the thighs, are a yellow- 
ifti white ; the rump is a pure white ; and the tail 
is very fhort. The figure of this little animal is 
very elegant, and it's fieetnefs is equal to it's beauty. 
It differs from the Fallow-Deer in having round 
horns; from the ftag, in the fmallnefs of it*s fize 
and the proportionable paucity of it's antlers; and 
from every animal of the goat kind, in annually 
fhedding it's horns 
D E E " 
The Roe-Buck feems naturally attached td 
fliady thickets and rifing flopes. Though far in- 
ferior j both in ftrength and fize, to the ftag, it is 
more beautiful, niore ailive, and more intrepid. 
It's hair is always fmooth, clean, and glofiy; and, 
a.s it delights in the pureft air, it frequents only dry 
fituations. When it's young are attacked by the 
ftag, it boldly faces even that animal, and often 
comes off viftorious. All it's motions are elegant 
and eafy; bounding with the 'ntmoft facility, and 
continuing the courfe with little apparent fatigue. 
It is alfo poffcffed of extraordinary cunning in 
avoiding the hunters; and, though it's fcent is 
much ftroriger than that of the ftag, it more fre- 
quently makes good it's retreat. 
Nor does the Roe-Buck differ from the ftag only 
in fuperior cunning, but alfo in it's natural ap- 
petites, inclinations, and entire habitudes. In- 
ftead of herding together, thefe creatures live in 
feparate families; the fire, the dam, and the young, 
affociate together, and all ftrangers are excluded 
from their little community. Every other fpecies 
of Deer is inconftant in afte6lion; but the Roe- 
Buck never forfakes it's mate; for being generally 
bred up together from their firft fawning, they 
become fo mutually attached to each other, as ne- 
ver afterwards to feparate. Their rutting-feafon 
continues but "fifteen days; namely, from the latter 
end of October to about the middle of Novem.- 
ber: during which, they are not, like ftags, over- 
loaded with fat; they have none of that ftrong 
odour which is peculiar to all others of the Deer 
kind; nor do they run to any of thofe furious ex- 
ceffes obfervable in ftags, and which fo materially 
alter their ftate. On fuCh occafions, the Bucks 
only drive away their fawns, in order to make 
room for a fucceeding progeny. However, when 
the feafon of love is ended, the fawns return to 
the does, and continue with them for fome time; 
after which they relinquifli them entirely, for the 
purpofe of commencing an independent family of 
their own. 
The female goes with young but five months 
and a half; v/hich peculiarity alone is fufficient to 
diftinguifti this animal from all others of the Deer 
kind, whofe time of geftation continues for eight 
months and upv/ards. In this refpeftj the Roe 
feems allied to the goat kind; though, as already 
oblerved, the difcrimination between the two races 
is fufficiently diftindl. 
When the female is ready to bring forth, fire 
forms a fetreat in die thickeft part of fome wood; 
being no lefs apprehenfive of the Buck, from which 
Ihe then feparates, than of the moft ravenous beaft. 
She generally produces two at a time; and fome- 
times, though but rarely, three. In about ten or 
twelve days, the young are able to follow their 
dam, fexcept in caies of clofe purfuit, when their 
ftrength is by no means adcquat-e to the fatigues 
of a continued chace. On fuch occafions, the af- 
fedlionate tendernefs of the dam is very fingular; 
' for, leaving her offspring concealed in fome deep 
thicket, file expofes herfeif to the moft imminent 
danger, flying before the hounds, and employing 
every artifice in her power to miflead them from 
thofe objefts of her love in which all her happinefs 
is centered. She courageoufly engages fueh ani- 
mals as are nearly on an equality with herfeif; at- 
tacks the ftag, the wild cat, and even the wolf j 
and her efforts for the proteftion of her young are 
not relinquifficd but with her life. Thefe her 
ftruggles, however, frequently prove ineffeftual ; 
for numbers of die fawns are often taken alive by 
the 
