WILD EX MOOR. 41 



the whiter colour of his tail, and went 

 quickly over the rising ground. 



As he started, a second male deer jumped 

 up from the heather, and followed him. This 

 was younger and smaller, and not nearly so 

 red not much brighter in coat than a hind. 

 A runnable stag generally has a companion 

 like this with him. They were over the 

 hill quickly, and I followed ; they had, how- 

 ever, disappeared when I reached the place. 

 A curlew whistled again, and suddenly three 

 heath-poults sprang up and flew hurriedly 

 away. Heath-poults, the female of black- 

 game, fly like a great partridge ; they seem 

 to have the same curved wings, which appear 

 crescent -shaped as they go. These heavy 

 birds are as large as pheasants ; the hen, 

 or heath-poult, is in general terms brown, 

 but it is a brown with buff under, crossed 

 in squares, or checks, a pattern very diffi- 

 cult to imitate. 



