320 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



have escaped from Castlereagh demesne, and I have 

 seen them myself. One or two get away every 

 year, and are generally mobbed when they get to 

 the mountains. I know of one killed in Clare- 

 morris in 1875, one at Ballycastle the same year, 

 and there was one in Sir Charles Gore's demesne 

 near Ballina in the winter of 1875." 



It is now in Kerry only that this fine representa- 

 tive of the ancient Fauna of Ireland may still be 

 seen. In this county the old original stock of Red- 

 deer is still maintained by Lord Kenmare and Mr. 

 Herbert of Muckross, whose deer forests adjoin ; 

 and, with the exception of five stags brought from 

 the co. Roscommon some years since, no admixture 

 with the original stock of Kerry has taken place. 



Previous to the year 1842 the poor beasts had 

 been much persecuted and hunted down, in conse- 

 quence of their being considered destructive to 

 the young plantations. About that date, however, 

 this persecution was fortunately checked, and, 

 under strict surveillance, the survivors increased, 

 and there is now a good stock. Mr. Ross, of 

 Killarney, for many years head forester on the 

 Muckross estate, in reply to my inquiries, writes : 

 " They are now very numerous, being strictly 

 preserved by both Mr. Herbert and Lord Ken- 

 mare, whose forests adjoin. The weight of the 

 heaviest killed on the Muckross estate was 

 31-^ stone, and several of from 28 to 30 stone. 

 Many of the same weight are still in the forest, and 

 their numbers are increasing yearly." 



In answer to my further inquiry whether the 

 unusual weight of 3 1 stone was the net weight after 



