528 



THE CLOVEN-HOOFED ANIMALS. 



to size the Stag is inferior only to the Wapiti and 

 the Persian Deer, exceeding the other known spe- 

 cies of its genus. It has an elongated body, re- 

 tracted in the flanks, with a broad chest and strongly 

 projecting shoulders, a straight, flat back, which is 

 somewhat high at the withers and rounded on the 

 croup, and a long, slender, laterally compressed 

 neck. It has a long head, high and broad at the 

 back, strongly tapering in front, with a flat fore- 

 head and with depressions between the eyes and 

 along the nasal region from the eyes to the' muzzle. 

 The eyes are of moderate size, and are bright and 

 animated in expression, with long, round pupils. 

 The tear-pits are placed obliquely towards the cor- 

 ner of the mouth; they are rather long and form a 

 narrow, oblong depression, the walls of which 

 secrete a fatty mucous matter, which the animal 

 presses out by rubbing against trees. The body 

 is supported on slender legs of moderate length, 

 and the toes are encased in straight, pointed, narrow 

 and slender hoof-like nails; the rudimentary digits 

 are rounded and long, cut off squarely at the extrem- 

 ity and hang straight down, without touching the 

 ground, however. The tail is of conical shape, 

 tapering towards the tip. A fine woolly coat and a 

 coarse outer-fur cover the body and lie rather 

 smooth and close, becoming considerably longer at 

 the throat. The stiff upper lip, which does not 

 hang over, is beset with three rows of thih, long 

 bristles; -similar hairs stand out above the eyes. 

 The color of the animal is subject to modification 

 according to the* season, sex and age. In winter the 

 outer-fur has more of a grayish brown tint, in sum- 

 mer more of a reddish brown; the woolly coat is 

 ashy gray with a brownish tip. The fawns alone 

 show white spots on a red-brown ground color, dur- 

 ing the first months of their lives. 



The antlers of the Stag are set on short shafts, 

 and are very pronounced in their branching, bearing 

 many spurs and standing erect. They curve from 

 the base in a strongly arched outline, directed, in 

 relation to the plane of the forehead, backward and 

 outward; toward the upper extremities they again 

 curve inward and turn their tips slightly towards 

 each other. There is a spur at the base in front, 

 directed up and forward; above this is another, and 

 others spring from the middle of the horns; the 

 extremities form the crown, the spurs of which 

 differ in position and size according to the age 

 of the Stag, varying in different individuals. The 

 horns are round, rough and more or less burred, 

 especially in the lower parts, and have numerous 

 straight or convoluted longitudinal furrows. The 

 tips of the spurs are smooth, polished, of a dingy 

 white or yellowish color, while the color of the 

 main portions of the antlers themselves ranges from 

 a light tan to blackish brown, according to the color- 

 ing effects of the juices of the plants which have 

 stained them. Large antlers weigh from ten to six- 

 teen pounds, and may in exceptional cases attain a 

 weight of from twenty to twenty-four pounds, or 

 even more. The horns may measure from thirty- 

 two to forty-eight inches along the curvature, or 

 even more in some rare cases. 



In the language of hunters, especially as expressed 

 in the ancient " art of venery," the fawn of tJFie Red 

 Deer is called a "hind-calf;" in its second year it is 

 called a "pricket," in its third a "brocket," in the 

 fourth a "stagon," in the fifth a "stag," and from 

 its sixth year the name of "hart," is applied. Other 

 authorities use the term "brocket" for the second 



year, "spay" for the third and "staggard" for the 

 fourth year. The female is known as a "hind." 

 Range and Mom- The Stag still inhabits nearly alL Eu- 

 menta of the rope, with the exception of thehigh- 

 Stag. est northern latitudes, and closely 



allied species inhabit a large part of Asia. The 

 northern limit of its range reaches to about the 

 sixty-sixth parallel in Europe and the fifty-fifth in 

 Asia. To the south its range is restricted by the 

 Caucasus and the mountains of Manchuria. Its 

 numbers have greatly decreased in all populous 

 countries and in some it has become extinct. It is 

 most plentiful in the Caucasus and the vast forests 

 of southern Siberia. The Red Deer prefers the 

 mountainous regions to the plains and especially de- 

 lights in large tracts of umbrageous forest. These 

 Deer assemble in large or small herds which divide 

 off with reference to their age and sex. The hinds 

 and young fawns usually remain together; the old 

 females form small troops of their own, and the old 

 males usually live solitarily. In winter the Red 

 Deer descends from the mountains to the plain; in 

 summer it ascends to the summits of the secondary 

 ranges [the mountains which are intermediate be- 

 tween the foothills and the highest snow-capped 

 peaks]. It adheres to its established range unless 

 pursued, and only strays away of its own volition 

 during the mating season, or while the new antlers 

 are growing, or when impelled by lack of food to 

 seek new pastures. 



The movements of the Stag are all light and 

 graceful, but at the same time its bearing is proud 

 and majestic, the male, especially, being an animal 

 of noble carriage. The ordinary gait is a rapid 

 'walk. In trotting the Stag moves with gfeat swift- 

 ness, and in running attains remarkable speed. In 

 play it takes enormous bounds, clearing obstacles of 

 great height. It is a fearless swimmer, entering deep 

 and broad streams, and in Norway even arms of the 

 ocean, straits and fjords are crossed with ease. 



Mental Traits Of the perceptive senses of the Stag 

 and Habits of those of hearing, smelling and sight 

 Stags. are very acute. It scents a human 



being at a distance of six; hundred paces; and not. a 

 sound in the forest escapes its keen ears. It is very 

 timid and shy, but is neither sagacious nor clever. 

 Its memory appears to be weak and its powers of 

 comprehension slight; but yet it gradually learns to 

 profit by experience. When, however, its passions 

 are aroused, it often forgets the consideration of 

 safety, w^hich is usually uppermost with it. Its usual 

 timidity is undoubtedly the result of its experience 

 that Ma,n is its, most deadly foe; but when it is fully 

 conscious of protection, it becomes very familiar, 

 When kept in close confinement, or even when at 

 liberty during the mating season, the Stag frequently 

 becomes irritated from the most trifling cause, and 

 may attack human beings. Both ancient and mod- 

 ern books of hunting contain many stories of Stags 

 which have, without any apparent provocation, 

 made injurious or fatal attacks upon people. Be- 

 tween old Stags, during the mating season, most de- 

 termined battles occur, the combatants using their 

 antlers as weapons. There are instances on recofa 

 wh^re the antlers of the two participants in such 

 coftibats have become so firmly interlocked that the 

 animals have been unable to separate' and have died 

 in consequence. In some such cases even human 

 ingenuity and strength have been unequal to the 

 task of separating, without injury to the antlers, the 

 bodies of animals which have died in this manner. 



