214 COMMON BRITISH ANIiMAJ.S 



inherited from the parents/^ Some wild stags never 

 grow additional points, but the beam lengthens. 

 " Following a normal course in the wild animals, we 

 most commonly see eight points at four years old 

 and twelve points at six, when they may be said to 

 be adult. But there is no hard and fast rule, for 

 wild stags are frequently ' small royals ' at four 

 years old. It is unusual to find wild Scottish stags 

 with more than twelve points, but in Exmoor and 

 Irish examples fourteen is not uncommon. ^^ 



The development of antlers depends, Mr. Millais 

 says, on the conditions of food and shelter, and the 

 finer antlers of the fossil forms would suggest that 

 they had had richer pasture and wider range. 



Various names are given to the red deer, accord- 

 ing to its sex, age, and development of antlers. 



Hart or stag . . = adult male. 



Hind . . . = female. 



Calf . . . = first year male. 



Knobber, knobbler, or 



pricket . . = second year male. 



Brocket . . . = third year male. 



Staggard or staggart = fourth year male. 



Royal or royal hart . = male with antlers 



bearing twelve points. 



Imperial . . . = antlers of fourteen 



points and over. 



Except in the breeding season the sexes live 

 apart,* the stags and hinds each in small herds, but 

 there is always one male, who is the leader or 

 " master.^^ The hinds rarely wander from the place 

 where they were born. Park stags attain their 



