ANTLER AND FERN. 73 



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 

 his head low, as he does in delivering a 

 blow, the sharp end of the brow-point pro- 

 jects almost straight in front of him. The 

 two brow-points, one on each side, at that 

 moment resemble the points of a hay-fork, 

 or prong — called on Exmoor a pick — and 

 if he can catch a hound on either of the tips 



