1. Of all wild quadrupeds, the deer appears to be one of the most
prudent in producing its young by the wayside (where wild beasts do
not come, for fear of men); as soon as the young is born, the dam eats
the chorion, and runs to the plant called seselis, which she eats,
and having so done, returns to her kid. She then leads her kid to the
station, to which it may learn to retreat in case of danger; this is
usually a chasm in a rock with a single entrance, which they say that
it stays and defends. When the male gets fat (which usually happens
in the autumn) he does not show himself, but gets out of the way, for
his fat makes him an easy prey. He sheds his horns in difficult and
scarcely accessible places, from whence arises the proverb, "where the
stag sheds its horns," for they are afraid of being seen, as if they
had lost their means of defence. It is said that the left horn never
has been seen, for he conceals it as if it had some medicinal power.
2. When a year old they have no horns, but only a commencement, as it
were a sign of what is to be; this is short, and covered with thick
down. When two years old, they have straight horns, like sticks, for
which reason they are called pattalia (from παττάλος, a stake). In the
third year their horns are divided. In the fourth year they become
rough. In this manner they are regularly developed till they are six
years old. After this age their horns are always the same, so that
their age cannot be distinguished by them. Old stags, however, are
recognised by two signs; some of them have no teeth at all, others
only a few; and they never have the defensive part of the horn, that
part of the growing horn which bends forwards, with which they defend
themselves, this the old stags never possess, but all the increase of
their horns is upwards.
3. They cast their horns every year about the month of April. When
they cast their horns they hide themselves during the day, as it
has been already observed. They conceal themselves in thickets, to
protect themselves from the flies. During this period they feed (in
the thickets) during the night, until their horns are grown. They are
produced at first under the skin, and are covered with down. When
they grow they expose them to the sun, that the horn may be matured
and hardened. When they cease to give them pain if rubbed against
trees, they leave such places, for they are confident in their means
of defence. An Achaïnian stag[224] has been taken with a considerable
quantity of green ivy growing on its horns as in green wood, for the
horns are tender when first produced.
[224] A bracket, or two year old stag.
4. When the stags are bitten by the phalangium or any such creature,
they collect together a number of crabs and eat them. It appears
to be wholesome for mankind to drink the same substance, but it is
not pleasant. The females, as soon as their young are born, eat the
chorium, and it is not possible to obtain it, for they seize upon it
before it can fall to the ground; it appears to have some medicinal
properties. The females are captured by the sound of the pipe and by
singing, and they are charmed by singing. When two persons go out to
capture them, one shows himself, and either plays upon a pipe, or
sings, and the other strikes behind, when the first gives him the
signal; when the ears of the deer are erect, it hears quickly, and
cannot be deceived, as it may be if they hang down.