42 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



a park, or stall fed, will often, at the age of three 

 years, present the appearance, in the horns, of a stag 

 of four or even six years old ; and I attribute these 

 things to the undisturbed life led by the animal, and 

 the abundance of nutritious food with which he is 

 supplied. 



Accordino- to the author of the 'Art of Venerie,' 

 * In Februarie and Marche, the hart meweth and 

 casteth his head, and commonly the olde hart muche 

 soner than the yong. But if there be any which 

 have been hurt at rut, or by any other meane, then 

 nature is not so strong to help him ' (p. 46). ' After 

 the harts have mewed, they beginne in the monethes 

 of Marche and Apryll to thrust out ther buttons, and 

 as the sunne doth ryse in his circle or course, and 

 that their feede doth encrease and waxe harde their 

 heades in like manner, and their venysone do growe 

 and augment, and by the middest of June their heads 

 will be somed of as much as they will beare all that 

 yeare, at least if they be in a good corne countrie or 

 where goode feede is, and have no hinderance nor 

 disquiet ; and accordingly as the season of the yeare 

 doth increase the croppe of the earth, even so will 

 their heades increase in all respects.' ' When the 

 harts that are in covert do perceive that their heades 

 do begin to dry (which is about the xxii. of July) 



