THE RED-DEER 



{Cervus elaphus) 



The Red-Deer may be taken as the type of the Deer family, and, 

 though not so large as some of them, it is unrivalled among living 

 species in majesty of appearance and in the beauty of its finely- 

 branched horns. These have, besides the "brow-tines" at the base, a 

 "bez" or second, and a "tres" or third tine, while the three points 

 at the end of the horns is known as the " crown." The words bez 

 and tres, by the way, are pronounced "bay" and "tray." When the 

 stag has the three lower tines, he is said to be a " royal," although 

 his horns are as yet not nearly perfect ; many specimens even have 

 more than three of the terminal points, for this Deer is very variable 

 as to the form and branching of its antlers. 



Antlers a yard long may be considered good, but much larger 

 specimens are preserved in some Continental collections ; the evidence- 

 available goes to show that the Red-Deer of to-day are distinctly- 

 degenerate compared to their ancestors. Some stags never have 

 horns at all, but may yet become owners of a harem. 



The Red stag measures about four feet at the shoulder ; his coat 

 is redder and shorter in summer than in winter, and is variable 

 according to individuals ; there is even a breed of white animals of 

 this species preserved in some parks. The hind is coloured like the 

 stag, but the fawns are spotted with white. 



This Deer is a typically European animal, being found over most 

 of Europe and in North Africa; eastwards it ranges into Persia, the 

 "Maral" of that country being a race of the Red-Deer. It is the 

 largest of our living British land animals existing in a truly wild 

 state, and its great stronghold is in the Scottish Highlands and 

 Islands, though it is also found in the free condition in Devon and 

 Somerset, and in Kerry in Ireland. As a park animal it is much 

 more widely distributed with us, and park specimens are larger and 

 finer than those from the bleak northern mountains, rather inappro- 



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