112 RED DEER. 



work commences early in August, when it 

 is usually hot and dry. Towards the end of 

 July the harbourer begins to look round 

 after the stags and notice their whereabouts. 

 They are then fraying, rubbing the velvet 

 off their new horns against the trees. He 

 observes where the signs of fraying first 

 appear, indicating that a full-grown stag is in 

 the neighbourhood, as the best stags usually 

 fray earliest. 



They like the soft-barked trees most to 

 fray against, and are particularly fond of 

 willow. The harbourer looks at starting for 

 the willows, and next to these for moun- 

 tain-ashes ; in the Exmoor country the 

 mountain-ash is called the quick-beam. 

 Both willow and quick-beam are frequently 

 stripped of their bark ; the stag pushes his 

 head against the tree and rubs his antlers, 

 which are now as hard as ivory, up and 

 down. A willow or quick-beam not being 

 handy, he will attack a fir. Next season 

 you may see such a fir, which was used as a 



