STAG, HIND, AND CALF. 107 



ventures to think that the Exmoor deer have the ad- 

 vantage in this respect, so far as regards beauty. 



The colour of deer varies with their age. Stags and 

 hinds alike grow darker as they approach their prime, 

 and sometimes turn almost grey when they grow old. 

 Young stags, the "light galloping deer" against 

 which Lord Graves warned his successor, are described 

 in a similar warning by an older authority as "of a 

 lively red colour." 



Hinds consort with the stag in the second year of 

 their age, and as a rule produce but one calf at a 

 time. It was for long an article of belief that the hind 

 only bred on alternate years, but this is conclusively 

 disproved by the fact that a marked hind turned out by 

 Mr. Bisset was positively known to have had calves in 

 three successive years. It has also been several times 

 asserted that a hind never has twin calves ; but this 

 again has been decisively disproved. Two cases of a 

 hind with twins are adduced by Dr. Collyns, and one 

 was seen only last year with twin calves at her heels. 

 Further, a hind killed by misadventure on the Quan- 

 tocks in 1 88 1 was found to have twin calves within 

 her unborn. 



Dr. Collyns lays it down that hinds invariably drop 

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



