DEE 
very delicate in the choice of his pafture ] and, when 
he has fatisfied the calls of nature, lie retires to the 
covert of Ibme thicket, in order to chew the cud in 
fecurity. However, he feems to perform the aftofrii- 
mination with much greater difficulty than either the 
cow or the.iheep; for thr grafs is not returned from 
the firft ftomach without much {training, and a kind 
of hiccup, which is extremely perceptible during the 
whole time of it's continuance : but this defeft may 
probably proceed from the greater length of the 
neck, and the narrownefs of the paflfage, Vv'hich in 
animals of the cow and flieep kind are confidera- 
biy fhorterand wider. 
This animal feldom drinks in the winter feafon, 
and ftill lefs in the fpring, while the plants are ten- 
der, and covered with the morning dew; but, in 
the heat of fummer, and during the rutting-time, 
he is obferved conftantly to frequent rivers and 
lakes, as well to allay his thirft as to cool his ar- 
dour. He fwims with great eafe and ftrength, par- 
ticularly when he is in good condition, his fat 
keeping him buoyant, like oil on the furface of 
the v/ater; and, at fuch feafons, he even ventures 
out to lea, fwim.ming from one ifland to another, 
though frequently feveral leagues afunder. 
The voice of this animal is ftronger, louder, and 
more tremulous, in proportion as he advances in age ; 
and, during the rutting- feafon, it is even terrible. 
The cry of the hind or female is not fo loud as that 
of the male, and is never excited but through ap- 
preheniions for the fafety either of herfelf or her 
youne; and it may perhaps be unneceffary to add, 
that fhe is dcftitute of horns, and is more feeble 
and unfit for hunting than the male. As foon as 
fhe has conceived, fhe feparates herfelf from the 
males, and all intercourfe with each other is im- 
mediately fufpended. The time of geftation con- 
tinues between eight and nine months; and fhe 
feldom produces more than one at a time. 
The Uiual feafon of parturition is about May, or 
the beginning of June, during which thefe creatures 
are very affiduous to conceal their young in the 
moil obfcure retreats. Nor is this a needlefs pre- 
caution, fince almoft every other animal then be- 
comes their formidable enemy: the eagle, the fal- 
con, the ofprey, the wolf, and the dog, as well as 
all the rapacious animals of the cat kind, are at 
this period in continual motion, for the difcovery 
of their abodes. But, what appears extremely un- 
natural, the Stag himfelf is alio their avowed ene- 
my ; and the hind is obliged to exert all her induf- 
try in order to conceal her young from him, as one 
of their moft dangerous aflfailants. At this feafon, 
therefore, the courage of the male feems to be 
transferx-ed to the female; for fhe defends her off- 
fpring againil her lefs formidable opponent's by 
force ; and, when purfued by the hunter, even ex- 
pofes herfelf to danger, for the purpofe of divert- 
ing his attention from thofe objefts of her regard: 
The flies before the hounds, in adire6t courfe, with 
amazing fleetnefs ; and, if flie is fo fortunate as to 
efcape with her life, fhe returns to her young after 
having eluded lier purfuers. The calf (for fo the 
young of this animal is called) never quits the dam 
during the whole fummer; and, in winter, the hind, 
together v,^ith all the males under a year old, affem- 
ble in herds, which are more or lefs numerous in 
proportion to the mildnefs or feverity of the fea- 
fon. At the approach of fpring, the feafon of gef- 
tation, they feparate, none but thofe of the age of 
one year remaining alTociated. Thefe animals, 
however, are in general gregarious ; and only dan- 
ger or necelTity can poHlbly divide them. 
DEE 
Of all the enemies to the Stag, thofe of the hu-. 
man Ipecies appear to be the greateft. Men of 
every age and nation have made choice of diis ani- 
mal as the obje£l of one of their mofl favourite 
purfuits ; and thofe who firfl hunted from neceffity^ 
have continued the praftice for the fake of amufe- 
ment. In this country in particular, hunting has 
ever been efteemed the favourite diverfion of the 
great; and indeed, originally, beafts of chace had 
this whole ifland for their range, they knew no 
other limits than the bcean, nor acknowledged any 
particular mafter. 
The jurifprudence of the Pvoman empire^ which 
was accommodated to the manners of the firft ap-es, 
eftablifhed it as a law, that as the natural right of 
fuch things as have no proprietor belongs to their 
firfl poffeffor, lb all kinds of wild beafts, birds, and 
fifhes, are the property of thofe individuals who 
can firft catch them. But the northern barba- 
rians, who over-ran the Roman empire, entertaining 
a ftrong relifli for this rude amufem.ent, and be- 
ing nov/ poflefTcd of more cafy means of fubfift- 
ence from the lands they had conquered, their 
chiefs and leaders began to appropriate the fole 
rioiit of hunting; and, inft'ead of a natural rig-ht. 
they made it the privilege of royalty. When the 
Saxon kings, therefore, had eftabliflied themfelves 
into an heptarchy, the chaces were referved by each 
fovereign for his own particular diverfion: the 
arts of war and hunting, in thofe uncivilized ages, 
conftituted the only employments of the great; 
their aftive but uncultivated minds were fufcep- 
tible of no pleafurcs but fuch as were of a vio- 
lent kind, procured exerciie for their bodies, and 
charm.ed away the languor of reflection. But, as 
the Saxon kings appropriated thofe lands only to 
the buflnefs of the chace which before lay wafte^ 
fo no individual received any injury from the re- 
ftraint. The cafe, however, was totally altered 
when the Norman kings got pofTeffion of the 
throne: the paflion for hunting was then carried 
to excefs, and every civil right was involved in , 
univerfal ruin. Even in a fuperftitious age, the 
ardour for hunting was ftronger than the confidera- 
tion of religion: tlie village com.m.unities, nay, 
even the molt iacred edifices, were thrown down, 
and turned into one extenfive wafte, in order to 
make room for animals which were the objecls of 
a tyrant's heedlefs pleafures; fanguinary laws were 
ena6ted for the prefervation of the game; and, in 
the reigns of William Rufus and Henry I. it was 
lefs criminal to comniit murder than to deftroy a 
beaft of chace. Thus royal tyranny prevailed while 
the Norman line filled the throne ; but, when the 
Saxon line was reftored under Henry II. the im- 
politic rigour of the foreft-laws was meliorated : 
the barons alfo, for a confiderable time, imitated 
not only the encroachments, but alio tlie amule- 
ments, of their monarchs; yet, when property be- 
gan to be more equally diftributed, through the 
introduction of arts and the progrefs of induftry, 
thefe extenfive hunting-grounds became more limit- 
ed; anci, as tillage and hufbandry increafcd, beafts 
of chace were obliged to give way to thofe wliich 
mankind had taken more immediately under their 
protection. 
In the prefent cultivated ft'ate of this country, 
Stags are almofl unknov/n in their wild, natural 
condition ; and fuch as remain among us, are kept 
under the name of Red Deer, together with the 
Fallow-Deer ; but they are much lefs numerous than 
formerly. Their exceftive ferocity during the rut- 
ting-fealbn, and the coarfenefs of their flcfli, have 
contributed 
