838 UNGULATA. 



Stag-hunting commences in August and hind-hunting 

 in November ; both stags and hinds lie very close till 

 aroused, and will swim out to sea when hard pressed. 

 The English Stag-hound appears to be extinct ; the 

 hounds now used are large Fox-hounds, selected for size 

 and strength. Blood-hounds were employed by Lord 

 Wolverton a few years ago. The French still possess a 

 few fine Stag-hounds of the ancient Poitou breed ; these 

 are large, fine hounds, with good noses and deep dew- 

 laps, but somewhat slow. Drafts of large English Fox- 

 hounds are also used in Fontainebleau. In England 

 the huntsman has the skin and the master the head of 

 the Deer taken. 



In the month of May we have seen two Bed Deer 

 stand on their hind-legs and play with their forefeet. 



The value of a live Bed Deer is about seven to ten 

 guineas for stags and five guineas for hinds and young 

 stags. The skins are made into excellent leather. The 

 horns are made into knife-handles, etc. ; in ancient 

 times the antlers were used as picks and hammers. 



The Hon. John Fortescue, in " Becords of Stag-hunt- 

 ing on Exmoor," says (p. 107) that " hinds consort with 

 the stag in the second year of their age, and, as a rule, 

 produce but one calf at a time." " It has also been 

 several times asserted that a hind never has twin calves ; 

 but this, again, has been decisively disproved." "Dr. 

 Collyns lays it down that hinds invariably drop their 

 calves between the 7th and 21st of June, and he can 

 adduce but two exceptions to this rule, the calf having 

 been, in both the excepted cases, born in the month of 

 September." 



(P. 109) : " The calf, male or female, is at the time 

 of birth white-spotted like a Fallow Deer, and remains 

 so up to the age of three or four months, when the 



