connected with deer were numerous; for instance, at the death of a hunted deer, after it was bled, the person of highest rank present took say, that is, made an incision to ascertain the fatness. The same personage had the privilege of cutting off the head; which ceremony being concluded, the hunter first up at the death blew a triple mort, if the quarry was a stag or hart; or a double mort, if a buck and then the rest blew a recheat. They then, for the amusement of the assembled peasantry, concluded the ceremony with leashing, if they could find a convenient victim-some luckless wight who had come too late into the field, or who had mistaken a term of art, or had hallooed a wrong deer, or attempted to leave the field before the death. The poor fellow was held either across the saddle or on a man's back, and some one present claimed the privilege of presenting him with ten pounds and a purse, or, in other words, of administering ten lashes with a pair of dog-couples tolerably severe, and an eleventh, the purse, that was heavier than all the other ten put together.

In those days, the male fallow-deer was called during the first year a faun, the second a pricket, the third a sorrel, the fourth a sore, the fifth a buck of the first head, the sixth a buck. The female fallow-deer was called during the first year a faun, the second a pricket's sister, the third a doe.* The buck comes in season the 8th of July, and goes out at Holy-Rood Day, which is the 14th

*Nelson's Game Laws. London, 1736.

of September.
buck goes out, and goes out at Twelfth-tide.*

The doe comes in season when the

The roe was called the first year a kid, the second a girle, the third a hemuse, the fourth a roe-buck of the first head, and the fifth a fair roe-buck.

The male red deer was called the first year a calf, the second a brocket, the third a spayed (or spire), the fourth a staggart, the fifth a stag, the sixth a hart. The female red deer was called the first year a calf, the second a brocket's-sister, and the third a hind. If a hart was hunted by the king, and escaped alive, he was called a Hart-Royal; and if in hunting he was driven out of the forest so far that he was not likely to return of himself, and the king gave over hunting him, then, because he had made such sport, he caused a proclamation to be made in all the towns and villages near the place to which he was pursued and hunted, that no person should kill, hurt, or hunt him, and appointed certain foresters to look after him till he returned to the forest, and afterwards he was called a Hart-Royal-Proclaimed.†

As our sovereigns have ceased to pursue deer, all harts having brow, bay, and tray antlers, and crowned with three or more points on the extremity of each horn, are now termed Harts-Royal.

*The Compleat Sportsman. London, 1762.

+ Manwood's Forest Laws.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR NOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATION 3.

By Jove! we are upon them. Tread lightly, crouch closely, speak lowly, breathe softly, while we examine the situation of the herd with our glasses, and the hill-men go round to give the deer their wind and drive them to us.

SOUTHRON.

Amongst so many scores of hinds how few harts! there are some large beasts, but not one good head. How can I bear off a trophy from such a herd? I would have the horns of my first hart "hung up like monuments"-memorials of what I saw and did in the North-to relieve the tedium of after hours of sluggish ease and inglorious repose. There is nothing here in the shape of horn that a cutler would give you half-a-crown for.

FORESTER.

Look lower down the glen: there are at least three harts royal; one has a crowned, another a palmed top, and another-magnificent creature!-his horns are neither crowned, nor palmed, nor yet exactly forked, but irregular, as those of most old harts are. He is so much larger than the rest, that if we wound him, I think I can trace him by his slot, though he keep up with the herd. with the herd. Now he turns

* The idea of giving this sketch in dialogue was suggested by a late publication. It is a mode of writing not ill-adapted to an explanation of some of the niceties of deer stalking—an art which can only be learned thoroughly on forest-ground.