40 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE RED DEER 



that the development of antler is more the result of 

 feeding than anything else. He thought that many 

 of the stags which Exmoor sportsmen believed to be 

 seven years old were in reality only three or four 

 years old, the rapid growth of the horns being 

 attributed to the fact that ' in that country they get 

 such good browse in the large covers of scrub-oak 

 and other trees.' Mr. Carter found that his tame 

 and well-fed hinds bred every year after reaching 

 maturity. Such fecundity is, I believe, exceptional ; 

 at any rate the Westmorland hinds do not, as a rule, 

 calve annually, though they not unfrequently do so. 

 Mr. J. A. Houblon has recorded that a single hind, 

 living with her own descendants alone, produced 

 offspring nearly every year between 1877 and 1887, 

 in Hatfield Broad Oak forest. Although this out- 

 lying hind must apparently have paired with her own 

 progeny, no signs of degeneration appeared in the 

 heads of the stags, some of which carried ten points 

 when five years old. The Martindale stags not infre- 

 quently carry nine or ten points. Formerly a Royal 

 stag was almost unheard of among the dales. The 

 late Sir R. Musgrave of Edenhall shot the first 

 ' Royal ' obtained in Martindale within living 

 memory. Two other ' Royals ' have been procured 

 in Martindale more recently. It is not my intention 



