THE STAG. 201 



the stag a remarkable illustration will be found on page 127. 

 Many years ago the Duke of Cumberland thought to make 

 trial of a stag's courage by placing him in an enclosure with 

 an ounce, or hunting tiger, on Newmarket Heath. The 

 enclosure was made by a net-work of about fifteen feet high, 

 and the contest took place in the presence of some thousands 

 of spectators. On seeing the stag, the ounce crouched down 

 and prepared to spring, but the stag kept such a steady 

 front that the ounce, turn as he would, was out-manoeuvred 

 by the stag and could not get a chance of turning his flank. 

 After a long time the ounce was goaded to the attack by the 

 order of the Duke, whereupon it leapt, not upon the stag 

 but over the enclosure and among the people, immediately 

 crossing the road and entering the wood opposite, where it 

 fastened upon the haunches of a fallow deer. 



The Tame Stags have been tamed and brought largely 

 Stag. under control but they are said to be uncertain 

 in their temper, probably from their timidity. Many years 

 ago Lord Oxford trained four red deer stags to draw a 

 phaeton, and Captain Brown tells an amusing story of an 

 adventure which befell him while driving his unique team in 

 the neighbourhood of Newmarket. It happened that as they 

 were proceeding on the road to Newmarket they heard the 

 cry of a pack of hounds and immediately the four stags 

 made off at the top of their speed, followed by the hounds 

 who had sighted them or scented them from a distance. 

 The animals were quite beyond control, but on reaching 

 Newmarket, they ran into the yard of the Ram Inn where 

 Lord Oxford had been accustomed to take them, and they 

 were safely housed in a barn when the pack of hounds 

 came up. Stags have also been trained to play tricks of 

 various kinds. A tame stag at one time marched with a 

 Newfoundland dog, with the band of the 42nd Highlanders. 



The Beindeer. The Reindeer belongs to the north of Europe 

 Asia and America, where he is the chief source of comfort 



