40 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



the substance is perfectly hardened and matured ; 

 then the covering begins to dry and fall from the 

 horn in strips, and by the second week in September 

 the stag has disencumbered himself of the ignoble 

 ' panni ' that disgraced his head, and appears in full 

 majesty and vigour. When the velvet begins to 

 peel, he rubs his horns against the trunks of trees to 

 assist in ridding himself of the now useless envelope, 

 and the operation is thus described in the ' Art of 

 Venerie.' ' When his heade is growne out to the full 

 bignesse, then he rubbeth of that pyll, and that is 

 called the "fraying of his heade," and afterwards he 

 burnisheth the same, and then his heade is said to 

 be full sommed.' The tree against which a deer 

 thus rubs his head is called his ' fraying-stock.' 

 After an experience of forty-six years, I may say 

 that I have seen but two stags killed before the loth 

 of September, whose horns were perfectly free from 

 velvet. Both these deer were ten or twelve years 

 old, and were found in Cloutsham coverts, belonging 

 to Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, and in a country 

 affording abundance of good and nourishing food, 

 which, no doubt, had had its effect in maturing and 

 perfecting" the heads. I have seen but one stag 

 killed after the loth September with the velvet on 

 his horns, and this deer had been injured ; and, as I 



