106 FOREST CEEATURES. 



10. A stag occasionally treads so exactly with the 

 hind foot in the slot left by the fore one, that a border- 

 ing line is seen all round the impression, as in drawing 

 D, the slot of a stag of eight points. This arises from 

 the circumstance that the hind hoof is smaller than the 

 front one ; but as this difference of size is not found in 

 the hind, the sign in question (Reiflein) can, conse- 

 quently, only denote the presence of a stag. 



11. It has already been shown (2) how, owing to the 

 peculiar manner in which a stag presses the soil back- 

 wards with the point of his hoof, a rounded elevation 

 is formed in the slot. When the ground is soft this 

 must invariably be found. Should it be hard, however, 

 and dry and friable, owing to long drought, the stag 

 will hardly be able to leave on the hard earth the mark 

 in question. But as he pushes his hoof backwards, he will 

 break off a small stratum or slice of the brittle earth, 

 and leave this in the slot. (Scheibel or Scheibchen.) 



12. Sometimes will be found a slot in which the hind 

 foot has left an impression in front of that of the fore 

 foot. The drawing k shows such slot left by an old hind. 

 You may be sure it is the trace of a sick animal, or, 

 more likely, of a young stag not worth going after. He 

 has done this in his awkward hurry, which is on a par with 

 the clumsy movements of one who, as we say, tumbles 

 over his own feet. (Uebereilen.) At times the one hoof 

 will, however, have been so little in advance of the other 



