306 OF BEER. 



lovers of the sport that it is very dangerous for 

 any man to come near them at this season, 

 for then they will make at any living creature 

 of a different kind. 



The time of harts mewing, or casting the 

 head : the old hart casteth her head sooner 

 than the young ; and the time is from about 

 the middle of February and all March, If 

 you geld a hart before he hath a head he will 

 never bear any ; and if you geld him when he 

 has a velvet head he will never mew, or cast 

 it without fraying or burnishing. Having 

 cast their heads they instantly withdraw into 

 the thickets, hiding themselves in such con- 

 venient places where they may have good 

 water and strong feeding, near some ground 

 where wheat or peas, &c. are sown ; but 

 young harts never betake themselves to the 

 thickets till they have borne their head, which 

 is in the fourth year. After they have mew- 

 ed, they will begin to button in March and 

 April, and as the sun grows strong, and the 

 season of the year puts forward the crop of 



