;Ch. XI. MANAGEMENT. 241 



to catch the fawns soon after they are dropped, and mark those which are 

 intended to be preserved for stock by cropping one or both ears ; destroy- 

 ing the rest, except when it is desired that a few should be kept for 

 table. It is better also to keep for stock those fawns which are first 

 dropped ; the late fawns are generally the production of the older does. By 

 this means a proper succession of deer, according to the size of the herd, 

 will be preserved, and many, of the, does will consequently.be in better 

 condition when liilled in winter ; the excellence of doe venison depending 

 upon the does having either had no fawns or. having lost them very early 

 in the year. A certain proportion also of the buck fawns should be kept 

 for ' haviars,' ' that is, castrated deer, to come in late in the autumn, after 

 the season of buck venison, and before the does are fit to be killed ; but 

 the better plan is to make ' full-heads,' that is, deer not quite clean cut 

 when fawns, as they not only throw up good horns, but are excellent 

 venison, and generally thrive better than the ' haviars.' It is said that thi.s 

 plan was discovered accidentally by a keeper at Lord Middleton's park, at 

 Wollaton, in Nottinghamshire, who, being often drunk when he went about 

 in the fawning season to make haviars, did his work imperfectly. Several 

 of the fawns thus treated threw up horns, and it was supposed that the 

 keeper had failed entirely in his object ; but when they arrived at maturity, 

 and came to be killed, it was found that all the purposes intended had 

 been answered ; so the system became established at Wollaton, and has 

 since been practised in many other parks.^ 



The question of crossing the stock of deer from different parks 

 remains to be noticed, and here there is much difference of opinion 

 among the owners of parks, some of whom appear to be proud of having 

 preserved their breed of deer without the admixture of foreign blood for 

 a time beyond the memory of men, while others again consider that, unless 

 the stock is occasionally crossed, the deer deteriorate both in size and 



' Haviars, said to be derived from the French in winter. 

 hiver, winter, because the venison is fit for use ' Information of the Earl of Winchilsea, 



R 



