FALLOW DEER 155 



Fallow Deer shed their coats in the early Spring. 

 If they have had good Winter feeding and the 

 weather comes mild they begin to disrobe about 

 the middle of March and get their new coats com- 

 plete about the end of April. The greater part of 

 the old coat is pulled out by the Deer themselves 

 and may be seen on the ground in mouthfuls. 

 Jackdaws use the hair for lining their nests, and 

 are often seen on a Deer's back helping them- 

 selves ! 



A change of coat means a change of colour too. 

 The dark variety of Deer becomes much darker in 

 the Summer, and the lighter coloured ones become 

 paler. Just before the last of the old coat is off 

 they shed their horns, the older bucks being the 

 first to lose their horns, and the younger ones, 

 according to age, a little later. 



The shedding of old horns is caused through the 

 new growth pushing the old ones off, exactly in 

 the same way as the teeth of an infant have to 

 make room for permanent ones. The whole of 

 the new growth takes place in about fifteen weeks. 

 After the horns have done growing they begin to 

 harden and the blood-vessels dry up, and the 

 velvet is pealed off by being rubbed against trees, 

 fences, or other hard material. As soon as the 

 horns are free from velvet a change of disposition 

 takes place with the bucks, for instead of herd- 

 ing peacefully together as they have done since 



