roo RED DEER. 



winter, and are very fond of ivy, grazing on 

 quantities of the ivy growing along the 

 ground in the woods. Ivy will attract them 

 to a cover, and they grow fat on it, But 

 above all things they love acorns, and devour 

 immense quantities of them as they fall from 

 the trees. It is at the acorn time that the 

 stags are fattest ; if the crop of acorns hap- 

 pens to be plentiful they have a perfect feast. 

 Sprays of ash tempt them, the fresh leaf on 

 the young shoots that start up after the old 

 wood has been cut ; they eat it off as level 

 as if cut with a bill-hook, stags especially. 

 The calves frisk and play about their mothers 

 as they feed, and the grown deer are some- 

 times playful. 



In summer they live well and find ample 

 food, but in winter are sometimes hard 

 pressed. They pick a little here and a 

 little yonder ; it must, however, be a hard 

 time for them, especially when snow falls 

 and lies for weeks, as it will do on Ex- 

 moor when there is none in the plain. 



