338 THE FALLOW DEER. 



he is accounted fit to be killed; but if he is suffered 

 to live a year or two longer, he will improve both 

 in flesh and fatness. If the young one be a FEMALE, 

 it is called for the first year a Fawn, for the second 

 a Teg, and after that it takes its proper name of 

 Doe. Such Does as are intended to be killed in 

 their season, are either what have had no Fawns in 

 the preceding summer, or have had these killed 

 and taken away. 



The season for killing the Bucks is from about 

 the first of July, to somewhat later than the middle 

 of September. That for the Does, is from about 

 the middle of November to the middle of February. 



Towards the commencement of October the 

 throats of the males begin to swell, and the ani- 

 mals make a noise called groaning, which is heard 

 at no other season of the year, and is attended with 

 a singular kind of rattling in the throat. They 

 then associate with the Does; and the oldest and 

 and strongest Bucks, becoming masters of the herd, 

 keep the younger ones at a distance. At this pe- 

 riod they neglect their food, and in consequence 

 become excessively lean ; but it has been observed, 

 that the more they are wasted at this season, the 

 fatter and finer will the venison generally be in the 

 following summer. 



The Buck sheds his horns every year, towards 

 the end of April, or the beginning of May, soon 

 after which there are to be seen on the head, (as 

 in the Stag,) two soft, velvety swellings. During 

 the early part of the growth of the horns, nothing 



can 



