RED DEER 



27 



RED DEER HIND AND FAWN'. 



last seventy years, though in former times they ignored them, as they do the bark 

 of jjine-trees. During rutting-time the harts eat very little ; often only mushrooms, 

 and sometimes even poisonous funguses will be found in the stomach, but later 

 on they take all the more food. In Scotland the deer during rutting-time eat 

 the light green and grey reindeer-moss which grows on the mountains. Like 

 roe-deer they will regularly return to blocks of rock-salt when placed for them to 

 lick. Red deer furnish fairly good venison, which is, however, unfit for food 

 during the rutting-time, on account of the unpleasant taste it has : the hide 

 affords good leather ; and the antlers, which may be boiled to jelly, furnish material 

 for many articles. Red deer are easily tamed, and can be trained for riding and 

 driving, and even for circus performances. On the Continent the red deer is shot 

 from a concealed position, or hunted on horseback, or in carriages and sledges, and 



