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" I have omitted to mention one or two distinctive peculiarities. 

 " Of a gregarious nature in general, solitary deer, both hinds and 

 " stags, are repeatedly met with. Again, it has very often been 

 " noticed that a large-full grown stag is accompanied by a smaller 

 " stag or brocket ; the latter, as aptly described by a sporting friend, 

 " seems to be the big one's fag, keeps on the alert while his big 

 " brother is grazing, and watches over him when reposing ; as if 

 " born to that purpose only. He is a dangerous customer to deal 

 " with, and has often caused sore disappointment and disgust to the 

 " wary stalker. Let me add a few words to those who speak of this 

 " fine animal as an elk, sometimes degrading him still further by 

 " styling the male a buck. By St. Hubert ! who ever heard of such 

 " a thing ! such a debasing title to this splendid specimen of the 

 " cervines ! I tell all good people then that he is not an elk, but a 

 " sambur, not a buck but a stag, aye ! and a noble stag too ! I may 

 " further mention, though already alluded to in my former letters, 

 " that the stags generally shed their antlers in April. Some early 

 " birds get rid of them even in January. The exception is not 

 " exactly understood, nor the cause of it. These latter, of course, 

 " have their antlers fully developed and hard long before the others 

 " who cast their horns in the spring. The hinds have calves by their 

 " sides at the fall and commencement of the year. The rutting 

 " season is generally believed to be at the fall of the year, and 

 " perhaps during January ; at any rate during that month, I saw 

 " two stags having a tournament in presence of the softer sex. On 

 " this occasion one of the stags left the arena, bellowing with rage 

 " or desire, and I was able to follow him in the wood by the noise, 

 "and succeeded in bagging him, and a very fine stag he was. 

 " People sometimes talk of these deer " barking ;" the term is 

 " incorrect, they bell. It is a peculiar and startling sound, not 

 " easily described. It has its modifications ; one by which the pre- 

 " sence of danger is intimated, another a call when no alarm is 

 " exhibited to the human ear ; the difference of intonation is not 

 " perceptible. In some instances these deer may almost be con- 

 " sidered exceediugly stupid, and though so alive to danger in 

 " general, at times display an inattention to the laws of self-pre- 

 " servation that are quite surprising. On more than one occasion, 

 " I have come suddenly on a hind returning from her night-tide, 



