RED DEER. 837 



A royal stag has twelve points, six on each antler. 

 Deer often eat the shed horns. 



Hammels, or hornless males (called Notts or Haviers), 

 are sometimes met with ; these are said to fight as well 

 as their horned brethren. 



In the month of October the necks of the males swell, 

 and the rutting season begins ; fierce combats occur 

 between the males, who during that time do not eat ; 

 at the end of the season they consequently are thin and 

 in poor condition ; previously they were very sleek and 

 fat. In Australia and New^ Zealand, w'here Eed Deer 

 have lately been introduced, the rutting time is in 

 March. 



Cross-breeding with English Eed Deer has been tried 

 in Scotland with the best results ; another judicious 

 step would be to import a few German or French stags 

 with good heads, to breed them with English, and then 

 to introduce the cross into Scotland. In turning down 

 Deer there should be about one to the acre, in the pro- 

 portion of one male to two females. Eed Deer are very 

 hardy, and live where Sheep would perish. 



There is no close time for Eed Deer in England and 

 Scotland. In Ireland male Deer are protected from 

 January 1 to June 9. In England stag-hunting begins 

 about August 10, and finishes about the end of October. 



There are thirteen packs of Stag-hounds in England 

 and two in Ireland ; these, with the exception of Devon 

 and Somerset, and the New Forest pack, which follow 

 the Fallow Deer, hunt carted Deer, which have their 

 antlers sawn off ; this style of hunting is scarcely 

 sportsmanlike, as it is unfair to the Deer, which are 

 without their natural defence. The only part of the 

 United Kingdom where the Eed Deer is hunted in its 

 wild state is in Devonshire and part of Somersetshire. 



