TRACKING DEER BY SLOT. 129 



the hind, in comparison, has little or no 

 ridge between, or the ridge is very thin, the 

 slot is not so long, and the outline somewhat 

 heart-shaped. 



The broad, rounded end of the slot is the 

 heel, and the points point in the direction 

 the animal was moving. With age the size 

 and length of the slot varies ; that of a 

 yearling is less than that of one two years 

 old, and a full-grown stag of course leaves 

 the largest mark. Practice renders these as 

 quickly distinguished as the capital letters 

 and ordinary type of printing, so that the 

 harbourer knows at a glance how old the 

 stag or hind was. As the stag grows older 

 the heel becomes broader, and as he steps 

 the points of the hoof separate farther, till at 

 five years when a runnable stag the marks 

 are wide apart. This enlargement goes on 

 up to six years, and up to that age the har- 

 bourer can tell the age with precision. After 



I 



