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.

Buck-Hunting.

THis Beast is common in most Countries, being as corpulent as a Hart; but in quantity resembleth more a Roe, except in colour.

The Males have Horns, which they lose yearly; but the Females none at all. Their colours are divers, but most commonly branded or sandy on the back, having a black list all down along on the back; their bellies and sides spotted with white, which they lose by their old age: and the Does do especially vary in colour, being sometimes all white, and therefore like unto Goats, ex∣cept in their hair, which is shorter.

In their Horns they differ not much from a Hart,

except in quantity, and that they grow out of their Heads like Fingers out of the Hand; such is this Fallow-Deer, being therefore called Cervus Palmatas. As for their other parts, they much resemble a Roe-buck. Their flesh is excellent for nourishment, but their blood ingen∣ders too much Melancholy.

Now know, the Buck is Fawn'd about the latter end of May, and its nature and properties differ little from the Hart.

There is not so much art and skill in Lodging a Buck, as in the Harbouring a Hart; neither is there required so much drawing after, but onely you are to judge by the View, and mark what Grove or Covert he entreth; for he will not wander and rove up and down so often as a Hart, nor so frequently change his Layr.

He maketh his Fewmishings in divers manners and forms, as the Hart doth, according to the diversity of Food, and time of the day, Morning and Evening; but most commonly they are round.

The Hart and Buck differ thus in parallel. When the Buck is hunted, he oft-times betakes himself to such strong Holds and Coverts as he is most acquainted with, not flying far before the Hounds, not crossing nor doubling, using no such subtleties as the Hart is accu∣stomed to.

The Buck will beat a Brook, (but seldom a great Ri∣ver, as the Hart) but it must not be so deep; nor can he stay so long at Soil as the Hart will do: onely he leapeth lightlier at Rut than the Hart; and groaneth or troateth, as a Hart belleth, but with a lower Voice, ratling in the Throat. And here is to be noted, they love not one another, nor will they come near each o∣ther's Layr.

Buck Venison is incomparable food, and is dressed like Hart-Venison; onely this last will be preserved lon∣ger than the former.

The Buck herds more than the Hart, and lieth in the driest places: but if he be at large, unconfined within the limitary Precincts of a Park, he will herd but lit∣tle from May to August, because the flies trouble him. He takes great delight in hilly places; but the Dales are his joy to feed in.

Bucks have seldom or never any other Relays than the old Hounds.

The greatest subtlety a Huntsman need use in the Hunting of the Buck, is to beware of Hunting Coun∣ter or Change, because of the plenty of Fallow-Deer, which use to come more directly upon the Hounds than the Red-Deer doth. Now upon the breaking up of a Buck the Hounds Reward is the same with that of the Hart.