STAG, HIND, AND CALF. 109 



very late calves are less uncommon than very early 

 ones. 



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 spots disap- 

 pear and the colour of the true red deer asserts itself 

 Calves remain with the hinds often till they are nearly 

 two years old, though of course they are able to take 

 care of themselves much earlier. Nevertheless, it is 

 extremely difficult to separate a hind and a yearling 

 when hind-hunting ; and even if this be accomplished 

 the two will often contrive to join company again un- 

 less the young one can run no further. When the 

 calf is very young it cannot of course travel very far, 

 and then the hind contrives in a moment to poke it into 

 some patch of fern or heather or furze, where the little 

 thing lies curled up snug and close. The mother mean- 

 while waits near it till hounds come up and then leads 

 them off in view from the calf's hiding place. Hounds 

 of course are always stopped as soon as possible from 

 such a pair if the calf be too small to take care of 

 itself; but it is a pretty sight to see the two cantering 

 away till all of a sudden the calf disappears, and the old 

 lady stops to look back on her tormentors. Should 

 she be pursued further, she will continue to circle 



