CHAPTER IV 



OF THE BUCK AND OF HIS NATURE 



A BUCK is a diverse beast, he hath not his hair 

 as a hart, for he is more white, and also he hath 

 not such a head. He is less than a hart and 

 is larger than a roe. A buck's head is palmed 

 with a long palming, and he beareth more tines 

 than doth a hart. His head cannot be well de- 

 scribed without painting. They have a longer 

 tail than the hart, and more grease on their 

 haunches than a hart. They are fawned in the 

 month of June and shortly to say they have the 

 nature of the hart, save only that the hart goeth 

 sooner to rut and is sooner in his season again, 

 also in all things of their kind the hart goeth 

 before the buck. For when the hart hath been 

 fifteen days at rut the buck scarcely beginneth to 

 be in heat and bellow. 



And also men go not to sue him with a lymer, 

 nor do men go to harbour him as men do to the 

 hart. Nor are his fumes put in judgment as 

 those of the hart, but men judge him by the foot 



other head as I shall say more plainly hereafter. 



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