Inner. 



28 calves to 



100 hinds. 



Largy. 



45 calves to 



100 hinds. 



Growth of 

 good hinds. 



Count of 

 Hinds and 

 Calves, 

 Feb., 1890, 

 in Forest. 



time, but a good many must be yeld for a year, because on our 

 best breeding district of Largy, if we can come up with a lot of 20 

 hornless deer we generally find 2 or 4 adult yeld hinds among 

 them. No doubt some of these yeld hinds have lost their calves. 

 The best and sleekest hinds are generally selected, of breeding age. 

 My impression is, that I never knew a milk-hind shot that did not 

 prove to be in-calf, happily our experience in this matter is small. 

 We know less about the fertility of inferior hinds in exposed 

 places, because we seldom shoot them, but it must be far less than 

 is current with well conditioned hinds, or else there is an enor- 

 mous early death rate among their calves. Probably both of 

 these evils are at work. The subject is treated further on. 



It is impossible to doubt that far more calves born to poor 

 hinds die, than such as belong to well-conditioned hinds. 

 Inner, our most exposed breeding ground, shows 28 calves alive 

 February to 100 hinds. Largy, our choicest and best sheltered 

 ground shows 45 calves to 100 hinds. We reckon as "hinds," the 

 female deer of i year old and upwards, and it is to 100 of these 

 our rate of calves is calculated ; we think this method of reckon- 

 ing less liable to error than an attempt to deduct the yearlings and 

 2 year old hinds, and to ascribe the calves to the balance left of 

 course the calves are due to that balance whatever it may be. 

 Hinds marry when 28 months old and present the forest with 

 their first fruits when 3 years old, usually. On favourable ground 

 a hind probably has the general appearance of being full grown 

 when 5 or 6 years old. 



Hinds do not frequent woods in Ardfin, only stags do so, but 

 other Jura woods are frequented by both sexes. Jura is deficient 

 in woods. The best woods are in Ardfin. 



By actual count of the Forest, late in February, 1890, we made 

 out 957 hinds one year old and upwards, and 355 calves. This is 

 37 calves to each 100 hinds (one year old and above) on the whole 

 Forest. The proportion of calves is no doubt larger of late years 

 than formerly, because better ground has come into use for 

 breeding. A large portion of the calves must have died, 

 especially in the nursery, as eight months had elapsed since their 

 birth. March and April are the only months very fatal to adult 



