chandelle

09:39 Dec 21, 2012 

Nice one, Jonathan! (humorous...)

21:03 Dec 20, 2012 

The "thrusting ejaculatory jump" sounds about right to me.

17:56 Dec 20, 2012 

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bcWZX-IMEVkC&pg=PA71&dq="...

There are few pre-copulatory mounts, and copulation itself is quick, with the male performing a copulatory jump during ejaculation.
Like most deer, copulation takes place during a brief copulatory jump, in which the female stands still and the male grasps her with his forelegs just in front of her pelvis. He makes a single thrusting ejaculatory jump with the head thrown back and the hind feet often leaving the ground momentarily.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iQq2iFktrwoC&pg=PA103&lpg...

17:54 Dec 20, 2012 

Just a mention here of the low mount characteristic of a stag's premating behaviour. It is not uncommon for farmers to ring a vet informing him his stag is not doing the job! This is because the farmer has observed a stag exhibiting low mounts during which intromission does not occur. During a low mount the stag's back is arched in a slumped appearance with the neck extended forward. This is distinct from a high mount or almost vertical thrust at ejaculation during which the stag's nose is pointed skyward. Low mounts are considered to be normal precopulatory behaviour and may continue for two hours or more before the stag elicits an intromitting high mount.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vj9WAAAAYAAJ&q="high moun...
The copulatory jump is widespread in deer, certain evidence that copulation has been achieved. During the mount, the stag does not clasp the female; rather, his front legs hang loosely to the side.
The copulation is a sudden bouncing upward by the male in which the hind legs leave the ground (Fig. 4-18)
(Link to follow)

17:05 Dec 20, 2012 

Having had my curiosity aroused, I googled, and autocomplete brought up "faire la chandelle pour tomber enceinte" - google images completes the picture as to what exactly that means (I guess it's the yoga position) but it's obviously pretty well-known. I wonder whether this is what the author is referring to - some action that increases the chance of fertilisation, but in quotes because it's obviously not the same move at all. (Perhaps so doing pushes the penis further in, or something along those lines - in which case perhaps something like "giving one last thrust for luck" might work?)

17:02 Dec 19, 2012 

it's an up and over. But I digress...

17:01 Dec 19, 2012 

legs/hooves akimbo

16:59 Dec 19, 2012 

In yoga it's a shoulder stand, but I think in this case it means the male rears up on his hind legs, an equally unnatural posture for him as a shoulder stand for us! Probably also a gesture of "wow, I'm fantastic" if one believes in anthropomorphism! :) I don't think there is a specific direct translation to English.

16:59 Dec 19, 2012 

Yes, I would simply say 'the stag rears up to disengage' - nothing else is coming to mind at the moment!

16:57 Dec 19, 2012 

I've got "the stag rears up to disengage himself". In French texts I've found that stags actually push hinds away with their hooves but I haven't found an equivalent term for "faire la chandelle". There may not be an equivalent in English.

16:50 Dec 19, 2012 

in so many words??