68 
VIRGINIAN DEER. 
viands are exquisite. Venison boiled with red 
pease ; turkeys barbecued, and eaten with bears’ fat ; 
fawns cut out of the doe’s belly, and boiled in the 
native bag; fish, and crayfish, taken in the next 
stream ; dried peaches and other fruits, form the 
chief of their good living. They bring along with 
them their wives and mistresses ; not that they pay 
any great respect to the fair. They make, like the 
Cathnesians, arrant pack-horses of them, loading 
them with provisions, or the skins of the chase ; or 
making them provide fire-wood. Love is not the 
passion of a savage, at least it is as brief with them 
as with the animals they pursue.” 
It is highly probable that the anatomical struc- 
ture of this species and of the European fallow 
deer is the same, and that they are both provided 
with similar facial orifices. There is something 
extraordinary in these vents. They did not escape 
the observation of the late Mr. White, of Selborne, 
who tells us that they have a communication with 
the nose, and open, one at the inner corner of each 
eye. They are of singular service to the animal 
when he drinks, as it is his custom to plunge his 
nose deep into the water, and continue in that 
situation a considerable time. During the draught 
he breathes through the vents, which he can open 
at pleasure, and thus indulge himself without in- 
convenience. It seems this gentleman’s opinion, 
that this curious formation of the head may be 
of great service to beasts of chase, by affording 
them free respiration ; and no doubt these ad- 
