46 ZOOLOGY. 



one side branch as well, the three-year-old (" sorel ") 

 three points in all; the four-year-old ("staggard") 

 has four points; the five-year-old ("stag") five, and so 

 on. 



In Britain two indigenous deer are found — the Red 

 Deer (Cervus elaphus) and the Roebuck (G. capreolus) ; 

 a third species, the Fallow Deer (C. dama), lives in 

 South Europe and Asia Minor [and the exact date of 

 its introduction into Britain is not known]. 



The Red LeeriCervus elaphus). Six to seven feet long, 

 and four feet high. Antlers rough and cylindrical for 

 their entire length ; each in its normal condition has 

 two front branches [" brow " and " bez-tyne "], a middle 

 branch [" tres "], and a " crown." Tail smaU. Body 

 of a brownish colour, becoming red in summer. A 

 light yellowish brown spot on the tail. Male larger 

 than the female, with long dark hairs on the neck 

 during the breeding-season (autumn). The young 

 (" calves ") are spotted with white till their first 

 change of coat in October. The hind brings forth 

 one or rarely two calves in May or the beginning of 

 June. The stag sheds his antlers at the end of Feb- 

 ruary ; the new ones are already full grown in July. 

 So long as they are growing the stag keeps to the low 

 woods, and first seeks the high-lying forests when they 

 are completed. He only leaves the forest for any 

 length of time during the breeding-season, but, where- 

 ever possible, comes to the field for a short time every 

 evening to feed on cabbages, peas, beans, young corn, 

 clover, lupines, grass, etc. Turnips, carrots, and 

 potatoes, dug out of the ground by the fore legs, are 

 also devoured. In this way red deer do a great deal 

 of damage, not only directly in feeding, but also, to a 

 larger extent, by trampling down the crops. In 

 autumn and winter they chieflj'^ feed on acorns, beech- 

 nuts, buds and young shoots of various trees. They 

 also peel the bark from young trees, and often cause 

 damage while rubbing the remains of the velvet from 



