CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 23 



a stag or hart, the female is called a hind, and the 

 young a calf. But if we use a term of art, the male 

 deer is not called indifferently a stag or hart. 

 Different names are applied by the foresters to 

 the animal at different ages. These have altered 

 and changed perhaps in some slight degree from 

 time to time, and it may be that in different districts 

 and countries names may vary. Manwood thus 

 writes : — ' And now here it is necessary to speak 

 something of the proper names of the foresaid 

 beasts of the forest, to the end that men may 

 know how to call them according as they are called, 

 and termed by the ancient foresters and woodmen. 

 And because of all other beasts of venery, the hart 

 is the most noblest and the most worthiest beast, 

 and taketh the first place, I will first beein and 

 speak of the terms belonging to him, and therefore 

 you shall understand that at the first year you shall 

 call him a hind calf, or a calf ; the second year you 

 shall call him a broket ; the third year you shall call 

 him a spayad ; the fourth year you shall call him a 

 staggard ; the fifth year you shall call him a stag ; 

 the sixth year you shall call him a hart. But here 

 note, that some ancient writers do report that in 

 times past the foresters and woodmen were wont to 

 call him a stag at the fourth year, and not a staggard 



