The gentleman's recreation in four parts, viz. hunting, hawking, fowling, fishing : wherein these generous exercises are largely treated of, and the terms of art for hunting and hawking more amply enlarged than heretofore : whereto is prefixt a large sculpture, giving easie directions for blowing the horn, and other sculptures inserted proper to each recreation : with an abstract at the end of each subject of such laws as relate to the same.

The time of Harts Mewing, or Casting the Head.

The old Hart casteth his Head sooner than the young: and the time is about the months of February and March.

Here note, that if you geld an Hart before he hath an Head, he will never bear any; and if you geld him when he hath it, he will never after Mew or cast it: and so, if you geld him when he hath a Velvet∣head, it will ever be so, without fraying or burnish∣ing.

Having cast their Heads, they instantly withdraw unto the Thickets, hiding themselves in such convenient places where they may have good Water, and strong Feeding, near some ground where Wheat or Pease is sown: But young Harts do never betake themselves to the Thickets till they have born their third Head, which is in the fourth year.

After they have Mewed, they will begin to Button in March and April; and as the Sun grows strong, and the season of the year puts forward the Crop of the Earth, so will their Heads increase in all respects: so that in the midst of June their Heads will be summed as much as they will bear all the year.