338 MAMMALIA— STAG. 



does not fear to ground himself in a morass, and will submit to the other 

 pleasures of "stalking," may occasionally find a roe. The most certain 

 time is, when the state of the weather is such as to force the herds to the 

 well-heads, Avhere there is brushwood near to cover the marksman. 



" The largest forest set apart for red deer which exists in Scotland, is the 

 forest of Atholl, where a hundred thousand English acres are given up to 

 them ; and upon this large tract neither man, woman child, sheep, nor 

 oxen are allowed to trespass, with the exception of those parties who are 

 permitted to partake of the mysteries of deer stalking. 



" The sportsmen, seldom more than two in each party, set forth, accom- 

 panied by a keeper who acts as general ; and they are followed by two or 

 three Highlanders, carrying spare rifles, and leading the deer hounds. The 

 party is preceded by the keeper, who is about twenty or thirty yards in 

 advance, attentively examining the face of every hill with his telescope, to 

 discover the deer that may be grazing upon it. Upon detecting a herd, a 

 council of war is held, and the plan of operations determined upon. It is 

 necessary to proceed with much caution, as, independent of the strong sense 

 of smelling, seeing, and hearing, which these animals are endued with, 

 there is always one of the herd, generally a hind, or female deer, stationed 

 as sentinel ; and, upon the least suspicion being excited, the signal is given, 

 and they are off. Great care is therefore taken, in the approach, to ad- 

 vance up the wind, and to conceal the party by taking advantage of the 

 inequalities of the ground, preserving the strictest silence. It frequently 

 happens, that the sportsmen are obliged to make a circuit of some miles, 

 to get near them undetected — at other times they may find that they are 

 in a situation, from which they cannot extricate themselves unseen. In 

 that case, they must lie down till the herd move into a more favorable 

 position for their purpose. Having arrived as near to them as is possible 

 without detection, the sportsmen, after a careful examination of their rifles, 

 still keeping themselves as much concealed a r - possible, fire, and continue 

 firing and loading, as long as they remain within practicable distance. 

 Eleven out of a herd of fifteen have been known to be killed by one person. 

 The accidental circumstance of an echo, the sound being heard on one side 

 and the flash appearing on the other, so puzzled the deer, that they stood 

 still, till the four last gathered courage and made off. When wounded, 

 large hounds, of a breed between the greyhound and the bloodhound, are 

 let loose upon the track of their blood, and they never leave it till they have 

 brought the animal to bay ; generally, in some stream, where they keep him 

 till the sportsman comes up and dispatches him by shooting him through 

 the head. It is necessary for the hunter to be very cautious in approaching 

 him when at bay, and always to keep him down the stream, from where he 

 stands ; for if he breaks his bay, he is very likely to attack his pursuer, gore 

 him with his horns, or trample him to pieces with his feet." 



