A hound that sticks to the first stag hunted, and refuses to be satisfied with the scent of another deer, is called a staunch hound, one who will not take the change, which was considered one of the most desirable qualities in a staghound. G. de F., in speaking of the different kinds of running hounds, says that there were some that, when they came to the change, they would leave off speaking to the scent, and would run silently until they found the scent of their stag again (G. de F., p. 109).
Kyrre, Quyrreye, or Quarry. The ceremony of giving the hounds their reward was thus called because it was originally given to the hounds on the hide or cuir of the stag.
Twici, the huntsman of Edward II., says that after the stag is taken the hounds should be rewarded with the neck and bowels and the liver. ("Et il se serra mange sur le quir. E pur ceo est il apelee quyrreye.") When the hounds receive their reward after a hare-hunt he calls it the hallow. In the "Boke of St. Albans" we find the quarry given on the skin, and it is only in the "Master of Game" that it is expressly stated that a nice piece of grass was to be found on which the hounds' mess was to be put, and the hide placed over it, hair-side upwards, the head being left on it and held up by the antlers, and thus drawn away as the hounds rush up to get their share. According to Turbervile, in his day the reward was placed on the hide; at least he does not in his original chapter on the breaking up of the deer notice any such difference between the French and English customs. In France, it is as well to expressly state, the curée was always given on the hide until the seventeenth century, but after that it seems the hide was placed over it just as described in our text (De Noirmont, vol. ii., p. 458). Preceding the quarry came the ceremonial breaking up of the deer. The stag was laid on its back with feet in the air, slit open, and skinned by one of the chief huntsmen, who took a pride in doing it according to laws of woodmanscraft. They took a pride in not turning up their sleeves and performing everything so daintily that their garments should show no bloodstains; nobles, and princes themselves, made it a point of honour to be well versed in this art. After the skinning was done, it was customary to give the huntsman who was "undoing" the deer a drink of wine; "and he must drinke a good harty draught: for if he should break up the dear before he drinke the Venison would stink and putrifie" (Turb., 1611, p. 128).
In the "Master of Game" the limers were rewarded after the other hounds, but they were never allowed to take their share with the pack.
The bowels or guts were often reserved, and put on a large wooden fork, and the hounds were allowed to have this as a sort of dessert after they had finished their portion. They were halloaed to by the huntsman whilst he held the fork high in the air with cries of Tally ho! or Tiel haut! or Lau, lau! This tit-bit was then thrown to them. This was called giving them the forhu, from the word forthuer, to whoop or holloa loudly. Probably our term of giving the hounds the holloa was derived from this. It was done to accustom the hounds to rally round the huntsman when excited by a similar halloaing when they were hunting, and had lost the line of the hunted beast.
In some instances the daintiest morsels were reserved for the King or chief personage, and for this purpose placed on a large wooden fork as they were taken from the deer. The vein of the heart and the small fillets attached to the loins (Turbervile says also the haunches, part of the nombles and sides) should also be kept for the lord, but these were generally recognised as the perquisites of the huntsmen, kennelmen, foresters, or parkers.
fumes, fewmets, obs. term for the droppings of deer. From the Fr. fumées. G. de F. says that the droppings of all deer, including fallow and roe deer, are to be called fumées. The "Master of Game," no doubt following the custom then prevalent in England, says the droppings of the hart only are to be called fumes, and of the buck and the roebuck croties. The following names are given to droppings by—
| Gaston de Foix | and | Master of Game | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Of the | hart | } | Fumées. | Of the | hart | — | Fumes. | |
| " | buck | } | " | buck | } | Croteys. | ||
| " | roebuck | } | " | roebuck | } | |||
| " | bear | } | Laisses. | " | wild boar | } | Lesses. | |
| " | wild boar | } | " | black beasts | } | |||
| " | wolf | } | " | wolves | } | |||
| " | hare and conies | — | Crotes. | " | hare and Conies | — | Croties. | |
| " | fox | } | Fiantes. | " | fox | — | The wagging. | |
| " | badger | } | " | grey or badger | — | The Wardrobe. | ||
| " | stinking beasts | } | " | stinking beasts | — | The Drit. | ||
| " | otter | — | Spraintes. | " | otter | — | Spraintes. | |
Other forms of this term are: fewmets, fewmishing, crotels, crotisings, freyn, fuants, billetings, and spraits.
The month so called began, according to Manwood, fifteen days before and ended fifteen days after midsummer. During this time great care was taken that no men or stray dogs should be allowed to wander in the forest, and no swine or cattle were allowed to feed within the precincts, so that the deer should be absolutely undisturbed during three or four weeks after the fawning season. He tells us that because in this month there must be watch and ward kept with men and weapons for the fence and defence of wild beasts, for that reason the same is called fence or defence month (Man., p. 76, ed. 1598).