i6o 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
females are a rich yellowish brown, with white 
thighs and bellies ; these never change their colour, 
and they are devoid of horns. The males require 
three years for the skin to darken, and it is of 
common occurrence to find a buck with horns of 
20 inches in length, although it has not commenced 
to assume the jet-black coat. I do not think 
they are really and thoroughly black until they 
are six years old. The hide darkens by degrees, 
and in a herd of twenty animals there will probably 
be several bucks of different gradations, but only 
one that has attained the maximum of colour ; 
this will be without exception the “ master-buck ” 
which dominates the herd. This little lord of his 
small court enforces a thorough discipline, and 
when the young bucks, in the presumption of youth 
and good looks, pay too much devotion to the 
fair sex of the party, it is a pretty sight to see 
the master-buck, with horns thrown back and 
nose in air, curling his upper lip in high disdain, 
as he prepares to chastise the sinning youngster 
for his audacity. After stepping proudly around 
the does, as though warning them against the 
feminine weakness for admiration, he makes a 
savage onset upon the love-sick buck, prods him 
with his spear-pointed horns, and drives him 
ignominiously from the herd. He then returns 
proudly to his ladies, marches alongside each of the 
younger bucks, as though to caution them, by the 
recent example, against any excess of devotion 
to the does. 
