10 DEER-STALKINO. 



during the summer season, have back, flanks, and 

 thighs of a yellowish hrown, with a row of pale yellow 

 spots on the sides, and a black streak along the back- 

 bone. In the winter these parts assume a grey 

 brown, the quarters and tail only remaining a pale 

 buff. The head, neck, belly, and legs are of a grey 

 brown tint, a broad brown streak passing down the 

 forehead and nose. As the age of the animal in- 

 creases, its colours become darker, and most particu- 

 larly the male. This description is intended only to 

 apply to the family of European stags: as a race, 

 those of the British islands are distinguished by that 

 peculiar rufous tint, which has obtained for them the 

 title of red deer. 



The stag is known from the hind by his horns, 

 by a beard of hair under the throat, and by tusks in 

 the upper jaw. The young of both sexes are called 

 calves. The male, to three years old, is a brocket ; 

 at four, a staggart ; at five, a warrantable stag ; and 

 afterwards, in the royal chaces, he is entitled a " hart 

 royal." The protuberances which denote the growth 

 of the horns, appear at about six months, in the shape 

 of two knobs, covered with a hairy coat ; in the second 

 year the horns come forth, but, generally, straight 

 and single. In the third year these roots put out 

 two antlers ; in the fourth, three ; in the fifth, four ; 

 and before the end of the sixth, there are six or 

 seven antlers on either side. However, this is no 

 strict rule, the branches differ constantly in shape 

 and number. In the Museum, at Hesse Cassel, they 



