arely three fawns at a birth.
Their attachment to their young is proverbial. The mothers treat them
with the greatest tenderness, and hide them while they go to feed. The
bleating of the fawn at once recalls the mother to its side. The hunter
often imitates this with success, using either his own voice, or a
"call," made out of a cane-joint. An anecdote, told by Parry,
illustrates this maternal fondness:--"The mother, finding her young one
could not swim as fast as herself, was observed to stop repeatedly, so
as to allow, the fawn to come up with her; and, having landed first,
stood watching it with trembling anxiety as the boat chased it to the
shore. She was repeatedly fired at, but remained immovable, until her
offspring landed in safety, when they both cantered out of sight." The
deer to which Parry refers is the small "caribou;" but a similar
affection exists between the mother and fawns of the common deer.

The American deer is hunted for its flesh, its hide, and "the sport."
There are many modes of hunting it. The simplest and most common is
that which is termed "still" hunting. In this, the hunter is armed with
his rifle or deer-gun--a heavy fowling-piece--and steals forward upon
the deer, as he would upon any other game. "Cover" is not so necessary
as silence in such a hunt. This deer, like some antelopes, is of a
"curious" disposition, and will sometimes allow the hunter to approach
in full view without attempting to run off. But the slightest noise,
such as the rustling of dry leaves, or the snapping of a stick, will
alarm him. His sense of hearing is extremely acute. His nose, too, is
a keen one, and he often scents the hunter, and makes off long before
the latter has got within sight or range. It is necessary in "still"
hunting to leave the dog at home; unless, indeed, he be an animal
trained to the purpose.

Another species of hunting is "trailing" the deer in snow. This is done
either with dogs or without them. The snow must be frozen over, so as
to cut the feet of the deer, which puts them in such a state of fear and
pain, that the hunter can easily get within shot. I have assisted in
killing twenty in a single morning in this way; and that, too, in a
district where deer were not accounted plentiful.

The "drive" is the most exciting mode of hunting deer; and the one
practised by those who hunt for "the sport." This is done with hounds,
and the horsemen who follow them also carry guns