310 ANIMALS OF THE 



lowland stags are reddish and flourishing ; so that 

 the animal seems to increase in beauty and stature 

 in proportion to the goodness of the pasture which 

 he enjoys in security. 



The usual colour of the stag in England is 

 red ; nevertheless, the greater number in other 

 countries are brown. There are some few that 

 are white ; but these seem to have obtained this 

 colour in a former state of domestic tamehess. 

 Of all the animals that are natives of this climate, 

 there are none that have such a beautiful eye as 

 the stag ; it is sparkling, soft, and sensible. His 

 senses of smelling and hearing are in no less per- 

 fection. When he is in the least alarmed, he lifts 

 the head and erects the ears, standing for a few 

 minutes as if in a listening posture. Whenever 

 he ventures upon some unknown ground, or quits 

 his native covering, he first stops at the skirt of 

 the plain to examine all around ; he next turns 

 against the wind to examine by the smell if there 

 be any enemy approaching. If a person should 

 happen to whistle, or call out at a distance, the 

 stag is seen to stop short in his slow measured 

 pace, and gaze upon the stranger with a kind of 

 awkward admiration : if the cunning animal per- 

 ceives neither dogs nor fire-arms preparing against 

 him, he goes forward, quite unconcerned, and 

 slowly proceeds without offering to fly. Man is 

 not the enemy he is most afraid of; on the con- 

 trary, he seems to be delighted with the sound of 

 the shepherd's pipe ; and the hunters sometimes 

 make use of that instrument to allure the poor 

 animal to his destruction. 



