ANTLER AND FERN 89 



be in velvet and is not hunted. Towards 

 the end of July, as the horns become hard, 

 the skin is supposed to tickle and irritate, 

 and the stag rubs his head against trees to 

 get rid of it. By degrees it peels off, and 

 he is then in a fit condition for the chase. 

 One or two of the first stags killed generally 

 have remnants of the velvet adhering to the 

 horns, hanging in strips as they run. Frag- 

 ments of velvet are snatched up as trophies 

 by those in at the death ; but after the first 

 week the velvet has entirely gone, and no 

 more are killed with it. 



A stag at bay is not to be approached 

 without great caution, for with his antlers 

 he can inflict formidable wounds. Hounds 

 are sometimes killed, and frequently injured. 

 The part of the antler with which most 

 mischief is done is the brow-point. This 

 starts from the brow near the head and 

 curves upwards, and when the stag holds 



