72 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



of Baden, by whom it is used as a shooting box. It contains a 

 very valuable collection of deformed Stags' and Roes' horns, as well 

 as others remarkable for size or beauty. I made sketches of the 

 most remarkable forms, which include Stags' horns twisted like 

 cork-screws or Koodoos' horns; Roes' heads with three horns; Roes' 

 heads with 8 to 12 points; a Stag's antlers with 22 points, &c. 

 There is also the skin of a milk-white Roe, shot in the neighbour- 

 hood. In one of the rooms is a large series of Rudinger's beautiful 

 woodcuts of extraordinary Stags, Roes, and other sporting subjects, 

 published at Augsburg in the last century. One of these repre- 

 sents a Stag with 66 points, shot by King Frederick I. of 

 Prussia in the Ampte Fiirsten Wald in 1696. I believe the horns 

 of this splendid Stag are still to be seen at the Moritz Burg, near 

 Dresden." — [See article " Cervidae " in English Cyclopaedia]. 



Again, speaking of a death of a bullock in Ceylon from the 

 attack of a Panther, he writes: — "The following is an extract from 

 a letter which I received from my brother Charles, dated April 

 26th, 1863, apropos of a dispute in The Field as to the immediate 

 cause of death in animals killed by beasts of prey : — ' A few days 

 ago, the cattle-keeper was bringing in the cattle, and was driving 

 a fine cart-bullock (which had strayed a little) past a wild jungly 

 ravine, when out sprang a large " Cheetah " (the true Panther, 

 Fells pardus) on to the poor brute's neck : the man very pluckily 

 ran at it, shouting and gesticulating, and drove it off; he then 

 brought the brute down to the shed apparently not much the worse. 

 I was sent for and examined it, and found the impression of the 

 claws on each side of the neck, but no teeth marks, no vein severed, 

 and but a few drops of blood flowing; the claw marks were slightly 

 inflamed, and the beast trembled so that it could hardly stand, and 

 at last it laid down : however, we feared no evil consequences, so 

 it was made to get up, and was placed by itself for the night. 

 Next morning it was dead. Verdict, died of the violent shock to 

 its nervous system. I can of course vouch for the whole of the 

 above. — C. H. Alston." 



Speaking of the increase of Rabbits, he says: — " About 20 years 

 ago (i.e., previous to about 1864), there were no Rabbits here (at 

 Lesmahagow); the first my father ever saw here was found by the 

 keeper lying dead on Todlaw Hill; now they are a perfect plague, 

 although none have ever been turned out in the neighbourhood." t 



Of the anatomy of the Hedgehog he writes, 22nd July, 1864: — 



