Sierra Morena 155 



Lynx, or Gato Cerval 



This unimal breeds in April and May, and the number of 

 young is generally two. If captured, the majority of the young 

 lynxes die at the period when they change from a milk diet to 

 solid food, and one may imagine that the same thing happens in 

 the case of the wild lynxes, since otherwise it is difficult to explain 

 why an animal, whose only enemy is mankind, should remain so 

 scarce. Their food consists of partridges, rabbits, and other small 

 game. 



Ked Deer 



With the red deer of these mountains, as elsewhere in Spain, 

 the rut {celo) depends upon the autumn, which season may be 

 earlier or later ; but the celo always takes place between mid- 

 September and mid-October. The calves are born at end of May 

 or early in June, and suckled by their mothers till the following 

 autumn. 



The casting of the horns, together with the change of hair, 

 varies in date, depending on the state of health in each individual. 

 It generally occurs in May, but in very robust animals we have 

 seen cases in April, and in the haretos, or stags of one year, in 

 March. The development of the new horn is complete by the 

 end of July, and in August occurs the shedding of the velvet. 

 The horn at first is of a white bone-colour, but gradually darkens, 

 the final colour depending on the nature of the bush frequented, 

 the blackest beino^ found in those stao-s which inhabit the ojum- 

 cistus (jarales). 



Although it is currently believed among country folk that the 

 age of a stag can be determined by the number of his points, 

 this is incorrect, the horn development depending solely on the 

 robustness of the animal. It frequently hajDpens that a stag 

 carries fewer points than he did the year before. 



When the hinds are about to bring forth, they isolate them- 

 selves, seeking spots where the brushwood is less dense, and 

 leavino- ,the calf concealed in some bush. The habits of a hind 

 wdien giving her offspring its first lessons in the arts of conceal- 

 ment and caution are interesting to watch. Shortly after day- 

 break the mother suddenly performs a series of wild, convulsive 



