358 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



the Bath and West of England Agricultural Show, held at Barnstaple 

 m 1859. 



" It has been shown that the hind brings forth her calf in May or June, 

 but, as far as I have been able to ascertain, she does not drop her calf until 

 July or August ; at all events, the one I had was not dropped until the 

 latter end of August. 



" As my sole purpose in publishing this treatise is to correct statements 

 which have been hitherto published respecting the growth of the horns, 

 with the antlers and number of points, I have not thought proper to enter 

 on the mode of hunting the Red-deer, as practised in Somerset and Devon, 

 and have in addition only to observe, if anyone doubts the statements 

 I have advanced, let him procure some male calves and rear them as I have 

 done this one, and by close observation he will then see whether I am in 

 error, and, if so, where. Surely there are plenty of persons in the world 

 possessing the means, provided they have the will and iiichnation, to keep 

 and study the Red-deer, respecting which there yet remains a great deal 

 to be learnt. 



" There certainly is not a more noble creature existing than a seven- or 

 eight-year-old stag (with all his rights — which, by the bye, is not now to 

 be seen), especially on his tii-st being roused and breaking the covert, just 

 after he has lost his velvet, which takes place early in September. Indeed 

 it is a sight which must be witnessed to be described ; and the pursuit of 

 such an animal is well worthy of royalty, as it was wont to be in ancient 

 times. 



" I last season witnessed a most splendid chase of several hours, after 

 which the stag was taken in a bedroom at Minehead, and I was somewhat 

 surprised on viewing his head — having a ' brow' and ' bay,' no ' tray,' with 

 three points on top of one horn, and two on the other — to find his beam 

 small and antlers short, while the horn was of a dark colour. Now, how 

 can this be accounted for? I believe from the following: — A few years 

 since I was informed that a number of Red-deer (which I then understood 

 were foreign, but have since learnt were from Cheshire) were procured and 

 set free among the different herds of wild deer in Devon and Somerset. 

 These stags (for I believe they were mostly, if not all, male deer) had 

 shorter horns, with generally only a * brow' and ' tray,' and of a dark colour. 

 I once saw a pair of their horns, but they bore no comparison to those 

 I had hitherto had under my inspection. Why, or for what reason, the 

 animals were obtained and so mi.ved, I know not. (Query). Were those 

 animals of a larger frame? If so, their horns were very inferior. Those 

 above described derived tiieir dark colour, I have not the least doubt, from 

 the imported stock. This will make a vast difference in the horns and head 

 of the future stags, and much further investigation will be required towards 

 settling the question, so as to be able to judge of a stag's age by liis horns ; 



