have already remarked — and the statement appears to 

 me to have been copied from older writers, where the 

 same error has been committed. But when the first 

 two or three years of the animals life have been so 

 confounded, is it to be wondered at that mistakes 

 should arise as to his age ? It has also been asserted 

 that an animal which has been kept in a park or 

 paddock will at three years old present the appearance 

 of a stag four, or even six, years old, but this is like- 

 wise incorrect. The one I had was kept, as is well 

 known, for nearly seven years in a dry land field facing 

 the south, of less than one acre, with a shed for him 

 to go into, with not a drop of water in the field, nor 

 ever having any given him (and no artificial foodj, 

 nothing but the natural grass of the field. When he 

 was first put into this field there was a small mow of 

 hay in one corner, which remained there two years ; 

 as he never touched it, it was taken away and given to 

 cattle. This animal therefore, lived under great dis- 

 advantage, having nothing but the same piece of land 

 to graze over year after year, summer and winter, so 

 that he was not (as has been misrepresented) kept 

 highly fed, but the contrary, the purpose being to 

 see the natural growth of the horns. And what has 

 the experiment proved? that the character and 

 growth of the horns depend almost entirely on the 

 natural disposition of the animal ; otherwise how can 

 it be accounted for that one in his wild and natural 

 state shall have a splendid head, with all his rights, 



