96 RED DEER. 



fields are often far from the homesteads, and 

 not very frequently visited ; the stags lie 

 down in the daytime, and the wheat, then at 

 its highest, hides them. 



The colour of their red-gold coats shades 

 well with the ripe corn, and, unless their 

 antlers or their marks be seen, they may be 

 unnoticed if any one does pass. They do not 

 bite the ears of wheat olT, but take three or 

 four straws at once in the mouth and lift 

 their heads, drawing the ears through their 

 teeth, and so stripping each ear as if it had 

 been threshed out standing. There is not a 

 grain left in the ear, and after eight or ten 

 stairs have been at this work for a few days 

 it is easy to imagine what a state the crop is 

 left in. For such depredations heavy com- 

 pensation is paid by the hunt. 



The deer are fond, too, of oats, and 

 eat them ripe in exactly the same way ; 

 oats strip easily when drawn through their 

 mouths. They will eat barley occasionally 

 if there is nothing else about, but not so 



