324 ANIMALS OF THE 



manner of taking them is singular enough : They 

 carry with them the heads of some of the females 

 stuffed, and learn exactly to imitate their cry: 

 upon this the male does not fail to appear, and 

 looking on all sides, perceives the head, which is 

 all that the hunter, who is himself concealed, 

 discovers. Upon his nearer approach, the whole 

 company rise, surround, and often take him alive. 



There are very few varieties in the red deer of 

 this country, and they are mostly found of the 

 same size and colour. But it is otherwise in diffe- 

 rent parts of the world, where they are seen to 

 differ in form, in size, in horns, and in colour. 



The stag of Corsica is a very small animal, be- 

 ing not above half the size of those common 

 among us. His body is short and thick, his legs 

 short, and his hair of a dark brown. 



There is, in the forests of Germany, a kind of 

 stag, named by the ancients the Tragelaphus, and 

 which the natives call the Bran Deer, or the 

 Brown Deer. This is of a darker colour than 

 the common stag, of a lighter shade upon the 

 belly, long hair upon the neck and throat, by 

 which it appears bearded, like the goat. 



There is also a very beautiful stag, which by 

 some is said to be a native of Sardinia, but others 

 (among whom is M. Buffon) are of opinion that 

 it comes from Africa or the East Indies. He calls 

 it the Axis, after Pliny ; and considers it as mak- 

 ing the shade between the stag and the fallow- 

 deer. The horns of the axis are round, like those 

 of the stag ; but the form of its body entirely re- 

 sembles that of the buck, and the size also is ex- 



