76 EPPING FOREST. 



and, after a great run, was killed at West Ham ; and 

 so ended the chase of the wild red-deer in Epping 

 Forest. For years afterwards, at the festive gatherings 

 at the Horse and Groom, a handsome silver cup used 

 to be handed round, with the inscription — ' From Long 

 Wellesley abroad to Tommy Rounding at home ! ' " 

 The staghounds came to an end in 1797, and early in 

 the century the red -deer were suffered, from the in- 

 difference of the authorities, to diminish ; and the re- 

 mainder of the herd were finally caught some twenty 

 years later, and transported to Windsor. I am happy 

 to say that Her Majesty the Queen has recently been 

 graciously pleased to restore some of their descendants 

 to their ancient haunts for the delight of her subjects, 

 and the glades may again echo the autumn challenge 

 of a royal stag. 

 Roe-Deer. These beautiful little animals — the smallest of 

 the deer tribe of Great Britain — roamed throughout the 

 forest regions of Great Britain in primeval times, and 

 doubtless Epping Forest formed no exception. Until 

 quite recently, although they are very numerous in the 

 dense woods of Scotland, they only existed in a wild 

 state in one district in England — the wooded combes in 

 the neighbourhood of the Vale of Blackmoor, in Dorset- 

 shire, whither they were imported about eighty years 

 ago. I had in February last the satisfaction of reintro- 

 ducing them to Epping Forest. Long convinced of the 

 suitability of the Forest to their needs, I had at length the 

 good fortune to secure the co-operation of Mr. Mansell 

 Pleydell and Mr. C. Hambro, two Dorsetshire proprietors, 

 in whose woods the roe are common, and who by every 

 means in their power forwarded the experiment which I 

 desired to carry out. Its success was also largely due to 

 Mr. J. E. Harting, who took a naturalist's interest in the 

 venture, and who not only superintended the capture, 

 but accompanied them in their long journey through the 

 night to Loughton. The capture was effected by long 

 nets stretched across the wood, the deer being driven 

 towards them by beaters and secured when entangled in 

 the meshes, and carefully placed in a covered deer-van. 

 In this way eight were taken, but two being destined for 

 the Zoological Gardens, only six, two bucks and four 

 does, were enlarged in their new home. Owing to the 

 careful provisions which were made by Mr. Porter, an 

 experienced deer-catcher, no hitch occurred, and when 

 the door of the van was opened the next morning in the 

 thickest part of the Forest, each one bounded out sound 



