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bark; and, like vegetables, they have their annual 
decay and reprodu£lion. So that, by the afiiftance 
of a ftrong imagination, we might fancy that the 
leafy produftions on which the-^nimal feeds once 
more vegetate in his horns. 
It has been previoufly remarked, that Stags have 
no fooner flied their horns, than they fepar.ate from 
each other, and feek the champain parts of the 
country, remote from all other animals which their 
Ctuation renders themi unable to oppofe. In this 
ftate of imbecility they continue near three months, 
before their horns attain to their full growth and 
foliditv; and then, by rubbing them againft the 
branches of thickets, they at length clear them of 
that fl<in which had before contributed to their 
growth and nourifhment. Some have roundly af- 
ferted, that the horns afliime the colour of the fap 
of thofe trees againft which they are rubbed; but 
this afiertion is undoubtedly erroneous, fince it is 
well known that fuch Stags as are kept in parks 
where no trees grow, have a variety in the colour 
of their horns, which can only be afcribed to the 
operations of nature. 
Soon after thefe animals are furniflied with new 
horns, they begin to feel the impreflions of the rut, 
or the natural defire of propagating their kind. 
The old ones are generally the moft forward in 
this bufinefs ; and accordingly, about the end ot 
Auguft or beginning of September, they leave the 
thickets, and return to the plains in queft of hinds, 
whom they court with a loud tremulous voice. 
At fuch feafons their necks become remarkably 
turgid ; they appear bold and furious; fly from one 
place to another; ftrike with their horns againft 
the trees, and every other oppofing object; and 
continue reftlefs and fierce till they have found the 
females, who at firft avoid them, but are at lail 
overtaken and compelled. 
When two Stags are competitors for the fame 
hind, how timid loever they miay appear at other 
times, they now feem agitated with an unufual de- 
gree of ardour: they paw up the earth, menace 
each other with tlieir horns, bellow prodigioufly, 
and defperately engage, feemingly determined 
either to conquer or die. Such combat ufu- 
ally continues till one of the parties is either com- 
pleatly worfted, or put to flight; and it often hap- 
pens that the victor is obliged to figlit feveral 
jfuch battles before he remains the undifputed ma- 
fter of the field. On thefe occafions, the oltl ones 
are generally the moft fuccefsful, as they poffcfs a 
much greater degree of ftrength and courage; and 
thefe alfo are by the hinds preferred to the young 
ones, the latter being more feeble, and lefs ardent. 
However, they are all equally inconftant, confining 
themfelves to one female but for a few days, and 
then feeking out another, who is, perhaps, not to be 
enjoyed without a repetition of their former danger. 
After this manner the Stag continues to range 
from mate to mate for about three v/eeks, the ex- 
tent of the rutting-time : during which period, he 
fcarcely either cats, fleeps, or refts, but continues 
to purfue, to combat, and to enjoy. At the ter- 
mination of this {ea.(:on of infanity, (for fuch. it 
feems to be with refpe6l to thefe animals) the crea- 
ture, which was before very fat, fleek, and gloffy, 
becomes lean, feeble, and timid. Having per- 
formed this duty enjoined liim by nature, he retires 
from the herd, in order to feek food and repoft- ; 
he frequents the verge of his bounds; and felecis 
the moft nourifning paftures, where he continues 
till his ftrength is renovated. Thus is his whole 
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life fpent in the alternations of plenty and want, of 
corpulence and leannefs, of health and ficknels^ 
without having his conftitution materially afi-edted; 
by the violence of fuch tranfitions. 
This animal does not arrive at a ftate of per- 
fedrion for upwards of five years, and generally lives 
above forty : and, indeed, it feems to be a pretty ge- 
neral rule in the animal oeconomy, that every crea- 
ture lives about fevcn times the number of year:^ 
which it continues in a growing ftate. What, there- 
fore, has been reported by fome, with refpeft to the 
life of this animal, has undoubtedly originated from 
ignorance and credulity. It has, indeed, been af- 
firmed, that a Stag was formerly caught in France, 
having his neck begirt with a collar bearing this 
infcription — * Csefar hoc me donavit,' which fome 
have interpreted of Julius Cjefar; but it ftiould be. 
remembered, that Cxikr is a general name for Em- 
peror; and therefore it is more rational to conclude, 
that one of the emperors of Germany (who are al- 
ways ftiled Caefars) might have been the donor of 
fuch infcription. 
However, it is certain that the Stag may differ as 
to the term of his life, either in refpeft of the good- 
nefs of his pafture, or the repofe he may be fuftered' 
to enjoy ; for thefe are circumftances which not only 
influence his age, but alio his ftrength and vigour.' 
The Stags inhabiting the plains and vallies which 
abound in corn and pafture, are much more corpu- 
lent, as well as tall, than fuch as are bred on rocky 
v/aftes or heathy mountains. The latter are low, 
fmall, meagre, and incapable of running with the 
celerity of the former, though they are found to 
hold out much longer: they are alfo more artful in 
evading the hunters; and their horns are ufualiy 
black and flender, while thofe of the Invdand Stags 
are reddifli and flourifliing. So that tjie beauty and- 
ftature of tlieie animals are proportioned to the' 
richnefs of their pafture and the c:ctcnt of their fe- 
curity. 
The colour of the Englifh Stag is generally red, 
or a reddifli brown, with fome black about the 
face, and a black lift down the hinder-part of the 
neck, and between the flioulders: neverthelefs, in 
other countries, the greateft number of thefe ani- 
mals is brown ; a few of them, indeed, are white,- 
but fuch feem to be tinftured with a domeftic 
breed. The Stag has the moft beautiful eye of any 
animal diat is a native of this climate; and his fenfes 
of fmelling and hearing are in no lefsperfedlion than 
that of vifion. When in the leaft alarmed, he lifts 
his head, erecls his ears, and ftands for a few mo- 
ments as if in a liftening pofture. Whenever he' 
ventures on fome unknown ground, or quits his, 
native covert, he makes a paufe at the fkirt of die 
plain, in order to examine every objeft around him;, 
after which he turns his face againft the wind, for 
the purpofe of difcovering by his fcent the approach 
of any enemy. Should a perfon at fome diftance 
whiftle, or call aloud, the Stag iirrinediately ftops 
fhort in his flow-mealured pace, and gazes on the 
intruder with a kind of aukv.ard admiration; but,., 
if the fagacious animal perceives neither dogs, nor 
any inftruments of deftruction levelled againft him, 
he tlien proceeds forward without betraying the 
llnalieft emotions of fear. Man, indeed, is not the 
enemy he ieen:.s to be moft apprehenfive of : on 
the contrary, the found of the Hrepherd's pipe feems 
to infpir? him wifh pieafure; and, accordingly, the 
huntci-s fometirnes make ufeof that inftrument. ia 
order to allure the poor animal to his deftru<5lion. 
The Stag eats vdth. great deliberation, and ia. 
very 
