264 



ANIMALS OF 



his horns, guards himself on every side, and 

 for some time stands at bay. In this manner, 

 quite desperate, he furiously aims at the first 

 dog or man that approaches; and it often hap- 

 pens that he does not die unrevenged. At 

 that time, the more prudent, both of the dogs 

 and men, seem willing to avoid him; but the 

 whole pack quickly coming up, he is soon 

 surrounded and brought down, and the hunts- 

 man winds a treble mort, as it is called, with 

 his horn. 



Such is the manner of pursuing this animal 

 in England ; but every country has a pecu- 

 liar method of its own, adapted either to the 

 nature of the climate, or the face of the soil. 

 The ancient manner was very different from 

 that practised at present; they used their 

 dogs only to find out the game, but not to 

 rouse it. Hence they were not curious as 

 to the music of their hounds, or the composi- 

 tion of their pack ; the dog that opened be- 

 fore he had discovered his game, was held in 

 no estimation. It was their usual manner si- 

 lently to find out the animal's retreat, and sur- 

 round it with nets and engines, then to drive 

 him up with all their cries, and thus force him 

 into the toils which they have previously pre- 

 pared. In succeeding times the fashion seem- 

 ed to alter; and particularly in Sicily,the man- 

 ner of hunting was as follows.* The nobles 

 and gentry being informed which way a herd 

 of deer passed, gave notice to one another, 

 and appointed a day of hunting. For this 

 purpose, every one was to bring a cross-bow, 

 or a long-bow, and a bundle of staves, shod 

 with iron, the heads bored, with a cord pass- 

 ing through them all. Thus provided, they 

 came to where the herd continued grazing, 

 and casting themselves about in a large ring, 

 surrounded the deer on every side. Then 

 each taking his stand, unbound his faggot, 

 set up his stake, and tied the end of the cord 

 to that of his next neighbour, at the distance 

 of about ten feet one from the other. Between 

 each of these stakes was hung a bunch of crim- 

 son feathers, and so disposed, that with the 

 least breath of wind they would whirl round, 

 and preserve a sort of fluttering motion. This 

 done, the persons who set up the staves with- 

 drew, and hid themselves in the neighbour- 



Pier Hieroglyph, lib. vii. cap. vi. 



ing coverts : then the chief huntsman, enter- 

 ing with his hounds within the lines, roused 

 the game with a full cry. The deer, frighted, 

 and flying on all sides, upon approaching the 

 lines, were scared away by the fluttering of 

 the feathers, and wandered about within this 

 artificial paling, still awed by the shining and 

 fluttering plumage that encircled their retreat ; 

 the huntsman, however, still pursuing, and 

 calling every person by name, as he passed 

 by their stand, commanded him to shoot the 

 first, third, or sixth, as he pleased ; and if any 

 of them missed, or singled out another than 

 that assigned him, it was considered as a 

 most shameful mischance. In this manner, 

 however, the whole herd was at last destroy- 

 ed ; and the day concluded with mirth and 

 feasting. 



The stags of China are of a particular kind, 

 for they are no taller than a common house- 

 dog; and hunting them is one of the princi- 

 pal diversions of the great. Their flesh, 

 while young, is exceedingly good : but when 

 they arrive at maturity, it begins to grow hard 

 and tough : however, the tongue, the muzzle, 

 and the ears, are in particular esteem among 

 that luxurious people. Their manner of tak- 

 ing them is singular enough : they carry with 

 them the heads of some of the females stuffed, 

 and learn exactly to imitate their cry ; upon 

 this the male does not fail to appear, and look- 

 ing on all sides, perceives the head, which is 

 all that the hunter, who is himself concealed, 

 discovers. Upon their nearer approach the 

 whole company rise, surround, and often take 

 him alive. 



There are very few varieties in the red deer 

 of this country ; and they are mostly found of 

 the same size and colour. But it is otherwise 

 in different parts of the world, where they 

 are seen to differ in form, in size, in horns, 

 and in colour. 



The stag of Corsica is a very small animal, 

 being not above half the size of those com- 

 mon among us. His body is short and thick, 

 his legs short, and his hair of a dark brown. 



There is in the forests of Germany, a kind 

 of stag, named by the ancients the Tragela- 

 phns, and which the natives call the bran deer, 

 or the brown deer. This is of a darker colour 

 than the common stag, of n lighter shade 

 upon the belly, long hair upon the neck and 



