284 THE DEER FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



number of stags ; he stops stalking quite early in 

 October, rarely killing more than five or six beasts 

 in that month, although rightly enough he pursues 

 the deer with energy in August and September, 

 seldom getting less than twenty fat beasts in the 

 first-named month, which are carefully picked for 

 good bodies with clean horns, and for many seasons 

 he has killed fat stags prior to the 12th of August. 

 In season '94 Mr. Williams watched a stag finishing 

 the operation of getting rid of his velvet on the 

 31st of July, and leaving him on that day to finish 

 his toilet in peace, he killed him, quite free of velvet, 

 on the 4th of August. From the two forests of 

 Inchbae and Strathvaich from ninety to one hundred 

 stags are taken each season, of which about forty 

 come from Inchbae. The tenant does not have 

 his deer weighed, except he himself sees it done, 

 and thus only the big ones are taken to the 

 balance ; these are weighed with heart and liver, 

 and 17 to 18 stone are counted good stags, while 

 about every third year one of 19 stone is got, and 



