PREFACE. 



The kind reception given to my book of " Deer- 

 stalking," in 1888, by deerstalkers as a body, 

 coupled with the fact that sportsmen in general 

 passed a favourable verdict on " Shooting and 

 Salmon Fishing" in 1892, and on "Highland Sport" 

 in 1894, has induced me once more to put pen to 

 paper on a subject for which I think there is still 

 room in the literature of sport, for, as far as I am 

 aware, no one has hitherto attempted to describe or 

 relate the anecdotes and statistics of the Scotch Deer 

 Forests. Before, however, proceeding further with 

 these pages, I wish to say, as I have previously said 

 in each of my other books, that I wholly disclaim any 

 pretension to literary merit. I write as a sportsman 

 for sportsmen, resting my hopes of success not at all 



c 



