NATURALISt's CABINET. 



Care and protection of the young. 



young one at a time, and this about the latter 

 end of May or the beginning of June. The ut- 

 most precaution is requisite to hide the young; 

 the eagle, the falcon, the osprey, the wolf, the 

 dog, and all the rapacious family of the cat-kind, 

 being in continual employment to find out the 

 retreat. The stag himself is also a professed 

 enemy, and the female is obliged to use all her 

 arts to conceal her offspring i'rom him, as from 

 the most dangerous of her pursuers. At this 

 season, therefore, she seems endued with extra- 

 ordinary courage; defends her beloved charge 

 against her less formidable opponents by force; 

 and, when pursued by the hunter, she even offers 

 herself to mislead him from the principal ob- 

 ject of her concern. Instances have occurred 

 in which the affectionate mother has fled before 

 the hounds for several hours, and then returned 

 to her young, whose life she thus preserved at 

 the hazard of her own. 



The flesh of the stag is a palatable food, and 

 the skin is serviceable for various purposes. The 

 horns, when full grown, are solid, and used for 

 making knife-handles, &c. From these also the 

 salt of hartshorn is extracted. 



In venturing upon unknown ground, or quit- 

 ting his native forests, the stag stops at the skirts 

 of the plain to examine all around ; he next turns 

 against the wind, to examine by the smell, if any 

 enemy be approaching. If a person happen to 

 whistle, or call, at a distance, the stag stops short, 



