ioS RED DEER. 



and ordinary type of printing, so that the 

 harbonrer knows at a glance how old the 

 stag or hind was. As the stag grows older 

 the heel becomes broader, and as he steps 

 the points of the hoof separate farther, till at 

 live years — when a rimnable stag — the marks 

 are wide apart. This enlargement goes on 

 up to six years, and up to that age the 

 harbourer can tell the age with precision. 

 After six there is no further increase, and 

 the age cannot be distinguished, but as the 

 stag is then certainly runnable it does not 

 matter. 



The opening of the hoof of the stag is re- 

 markable ; as he goes his hoof divides like 

 fingers stretched apart. The stretching of the 

 hoof depends in degree upon the pace the 

 stag was going. If walking the hoof remains 

 in its normal state ; trotting opens it consi- 

 derably, and when galloping the two halves 

 are widest apart. By the width of the im- 

 pression the speed is consequently indicated ; 

 but this varying breadth would confuse the 



