Stags are also infested by a very large throat worm, which 

 adheres to the throat and to the lower part of the tongue. This 

 worm is nearly as thick as a person's little finger, and has a most 

 foul and repulsive appearance. It is found in Ross-shire, and 

 also exists here. It somewhat resembles a leech in appearance ; 

 possibly it is a leech. I never saw an example of this worm. It 

 is found in Spring. It appears to be uncommon in Jura, only 

 recorded twice. 



We have already spoken of the husk parasite. 



We have observed two kinds of intestinal worms. 



It is thus seen that casual observation on the part of those 

 without any special knowledge has established the existence of 

 six forms of parasite affecting deer, or, including warbles, sev<"n. 



Ross-shire stags are much infested with warbles ; these must 

 be produced by some insect, no doubt of the gad-fly type. 



These warbles are ugly looking dark-coloured lumps under the 

 skin, sometimes very numerous and as large as hazel nuts. Each 

 warble contains a grub, and there is a perforation in the skin 

 above the warble. 



Ross-shire stags often have the tops of their horns decayed 

 away. Stags antlers are formed of pure bone, not horn. 



We have only once detected warbles, and decayed antlers never 

 in Jura. The warbles observed were in a dead hind. Much 

 venison is disfigured by warbles in Ross-shire. 



The death rate of sheep in the western portion of Argyllshire 

 is lamentably heavy, and is largely due to parasites. 



It is probable that careful study, accompanied with special 

 knowledge, might lead to very interesting and valuable discoveries, 

 and perhaps to changes of management which would greatly 

 reduce the death rate, both of sheep and deer. It seems that 

 burning considerable tracts of heather greatly checks parasitic 

 mischief, but there is a limit to this remedy, because there is 

 hardly any winter feeding for the first winter on burnt ground. 

 We have a good deal of ground grassy flats, with heather inter- 

 mixed that ought to be burnt in rotation once in three years. 

 Good judgment in burning, and in abstaining from it, is essential 

 to success in this Forest. Far more ground requires burning 

 here than in Ross-shire. We did not find this out at first, and we 

 were told at first that the ground had been too much burnt 



