HUNTING TrjB STAG. 



CHAPTER XII. 



HUNTING THE STAG. 

 TAG hunting has long been th' favorite 

 sport of royal and noble hi. tters in 

 Europe. The ancient Romans and 

 Greeks practised it, as may be shown 

 by many passages in the classics. In 

 the middle ages it was one of the chief 

 amusements of the hardy barons ; and it 

 is still practised in Britain, as well as in 

 France and other continental countries, 

 and occasionally in the United States. 



We quote from our former authority the directions to the hunter 

 for this sport. 



Gesner, speaking of hart-hunting, observes, that this wild, and 

 subtle beast, frequently deceives its hunter by windings and turn- 

 ings. Wherefore the prudent hunter must train his dogs with 

 words of art, that he may be able to set them on and take them off 



