'The Natural History of Selborne 31 



severe and sanguinary act called the " Black Act," * which 

 now comprehends more felonies than any law that ever was 

 framed before. And, therefore, a late Bishop of Winchester, 

 when urged to re-stock Waltham Chase, -f- refused, from a 

 motive worthy of a prelate, replying " that it had done mischief 

 enough already." 



Our old race of deer-stealers are hardly extinct yet : it was 

 but a little while ago that, over their ale, they used to recount 

 the exploits of their youth; such as watching the pregnant 

 hind to her lair, and, when the calf was dropped, paring its 

 feet with a penknife to the quick to prevent its escape, till it 

 was large and fat enough to be killed ; the shooting at one of 

 their neighbours with a bullet in a turnip-field by moonshine, 

 mistaking him for a deer ; and the losing a dog in the follow- 

 ing extraordinary manner : Some fellows, suspecting that a 

 calf new-fallen was deposited in a certain spot of thick fern, 

 went, with a lurcher, to surprise it ; when the parent-hind 



* Statute 9 Geo. I. cap. 22. t This chase remains unstocked to this 

 day ; the bishop was Dr. Hoadly. 



