"The meat of a castrated goat of six or seven years old,
(which is called _Hyfr_,) is reckoned the best; being
generally very sweet and fat. This makes an excellent pasty,
goes under the name of rock venison, and is little inferior
to that of the deer."

As Pennant was a Welchman, a scholar and a {270} naturalist, he will
probably be considered good authority; and _Hyfr_, the most likely
origin of the altered terms of the deer park-keepers.

The word occurs twice in page 61. vol. ii. of the _Sportsman's
Cabinet_, in the article on the Stag or Red Deer, where it is printed
_Heavier_; and it will be found also as _Hever_, in Mr. Jesse's
_Scenes and Tales of Country Life_, at page 349.

WM. YARRELL.

Ryder Street, St. James, Feb. 11. 1850.


Mr. Halliwell gives the words _haver_ and _havering_, in the same
sense as _havior_. Are not these words identical with _aver, averium_,
in the sense of cattle, tame beasts? _Averium_, from the old French,
_aveir_, i.e. _avoir_, originally meant any personal property; but
like _catalla_, chattels, it came to signify more particularly the
most important part of a peasant's possessions--namely, his live
stock. Thus, in the laws of William the Conqueror (Thorpe's _Ancient
Laws_, vol. ii. p. 469.), we find:--