RED DEER. 127 



The growth of the Stag's horns is said to keep pace with the 

 growth of the bracken among which he rests. 



When the male Deer-calf is a few months old he becomes 

 distinct from the female by the appearance of two knobs 

 (" bossets ") on the front of the head ; he is then a knobber. 

 Next year these become longer and pointed (" dags ") and he 

 becomes known as a brocket. The third year a branch appears 

 forward the brow antler and he becomes a spayad. The 

 fourth year a second forward antler the bez-tine or bay is 

 produced at about a third from the summit of the now long 

 horn ; and he is known as a staggard. The tray (tres) or royal 

 antler appears near the summit in the fifth year, and this 

 entitles the young Deer to the title of Stag: he has come of 

 age. From the sixth year, when the crown of antlers begins 

 to form at the summit by the production of tines in several 

 directions at the same height, he becomes a Hart or Stag of 

 Ten; and in former days he could advance beyond that dignity 

 by escaping with his life after being hunted by the King, thereby 

 earning the rank of a Stag Royal. If he lives long enough he 

 may wear a pair of antlers each having as many as forty-eight 

 points. He is considered, by the way, to live for forty years. 



The antler has a core of solid bone covered by a continuation 

 of the soft skin of the head, which bears a close pile of short 

 hair and is known as the velvet. When the core has attained 

 to its proper solidity and hardness, the growth of the rough 

 burr at its base, pressing on the blood vessels and stopping 

 their further supply to the velvet above, causes the death of the 

 latter ; and the Deer by rubbing the new structure against tree 

 trunks and branches, tears off the velvet in strips, and is then 

 able to do battle with his peers. The ensuing period of sexual 

 unrest having been passed through safely, the whole structure 

 down to the burrs is parted with, and a finer set of antlers 

 begun. The whole process of antler growth occupies about ten 

 weeks, and during this period the Stag is always in poor 



