DEVON AND SOMERSET. 335 



there should be a few wet nights in succession, 

 when a large herd of heavy and hungry deer 

 is foraging, the trim line of the farmer's hedge 

 will soon be seamed all over with muddy gaps 

 that will take much labour to repair, and will 

 call down plentiful abuse on the offending heads 

 of the midnight marauders. Many are the 

 devices bv which deer may be checked in 

 their hrst attempt on forbidden sweets. Tarred 

 cord is frequentlv stretched along the whole 

 length of the hedge which they have begun to 

 traverse, figures fearful and wondrous, surmounted 

 by green and rusty hats, are mounted in pro- 

 minent positions, lanterns covered with green 

 and red paper are set swaying and dangling 

 in lonely turnip fields, and strong smelling 

 deterrents such as pigs' blood are sometimes 

 effective. When once however gnawing hunger, 

 and the contempt that comes with familiarity, 

 have made the deer bold enough, as they 

 speedily do in the long dark nights of winter, 

 no artifice will long avail to keep the starving 

 herd from the tempting food which they can 

 smell from afar. Spring guns may terrify them 

 for aw^iile, chained dogs may protect a small 

 area in the immediate neighbourhood of the 

 draughty barrel w^iere they shiver through the 

 night, and clattering windmills may make them 

 pause in their advance from the shady boughs 

 of the nearest covert, but somehow or other, 



