OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE EIFLE IS USED. 97 



knobbers, with small brow antlers ; the SPIRE, a brow antler 

 and half- developed beam, called uprights; a STAGGART, brow, 

 tray, and uprights ; a STAG, brow, bay, and tray, with one 

 horn crocket ted and the other single; a WARRANTABLE 

 STAG has brow, bay, and tray antlers, with crockets on 

 both horns. After this no rule can be given, as the 

 horns constantly vary in all points ; but if they have 

 three points, the harts are called royal. The slot is the 

 proper name, according to the laws of venerie, for the 

 tread of the deer, which in the hind is much narrower and 

 longer than that of the stag, especially at the toe. In 

 the warrantable stag the heel measures fully two inches; 

 if more than this, and deeply indented into the ground, 

 he is a large heavy old hart ; and such usually bring up 

 their hind feet to the impression made by their fore feet. 

 The deer's haunt is called his lair ; where he lies, his har- 

 bour; where he rolls, his soiling-pool ; where he breaks 

 through a fence, his rack; if he go to water, he takes soil ; 

 if headed back, he is blanched ; if he lies down in water he 

 is said to be sinking himself; an unwounded deer is called a 

 cold hart. The red deer is rather a delicate animal, and 

 bites close like a sheep, requiring an enormous range of 

 pasturage to afford him such a choice and change as shall 

 keep him in health. The hart ruts about the end of 

 September, or beginning of October; and this period is 

 exceedingly short, as compared with the sheep and goat, only 

 lasting a single week. They show the change by a peculiar 

 swelling of the neck, where they throw out a ruff of long 

 hair; and at this time their flanks are tucked up, from their 

 refusing food and their tendency to fret. While rutting 

 they are very restless, and roll constantly in the peat 

 mosses, becoming often perfectly black with the soil that 

 adheres to them. They are now wholly unfit for human 

 food, and are never sought after by the sportsman, who 

 selects, in preference, the more backward harts and the 

 hinds, which are then just coming into season, but seldom 

 yet fat and of good flavour. The rutting harts are exceed- 

 ingly pugnacious, and terrible battles are constantly taking 

 place for the possession of the females, a whole harem of 

 which are the spoil of the conqueror. The period of gesta- 



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