Wood Stags. l ' l 'Wood Vtags" hJatim^<xcxnsiderably faster than stags on the open 

 hills; Being strong and heavy beasts, it is possible they maintain 

 their prime longer than hill stags. The Torranbuie stag might 

 be considered a wood stag. 



An instance of the rapid growth of a well-fed wood stag may 

 be here given. 



A calf stag having lost its mother wandered into the Ardfin 

 enclosures. This calf used to pasture at will among the crops on 

 Ardfin farm. He was shot 3oth August, 1872, when 8 years 

 of age, by mistake, in mist ; his weight proved to be 26 stone 

 4 pounds, weighed perfectly clean. The head was just what might 

 be called a good head, but nothing more. No doubt the head 

 might have improved had the stag lived. 



Most of the very best heads in the island have been obtained 

 from wood stags. There is nothing much better in the large col- 

 lection of heads at Ardfin than that of a wood stag shot there last 

 year. 



Hill Stags. Mr. Edward Ross thinks hill stags usually attain their prime 



when 12 years of age. My observations lead to the same conclu- 

 sion, they appear to maintain their prime for about 5 years till 

 1 7 years old. Individuals no doubt vary in their date of maturity 

 and decline. 



Age of Hind?. Little seems to be recorded as to the longevity of hinds. They 

 are apparently quite as hardy as stags, they do not fight, they 

 have no horns to grow, and it must be remembered stags run 

 down very low in condition every October, which is not the case 

 with hinds. There can be little doubt that hinds on an average 

 live longer than stags. The death per centage for hinds is only 

 one per hundred larger than that of stags in face of the fact that we 

 never kill old hinds. Although hinds here have most abundant 



th h- T th P opportunity to die of old age, dead hinds with missing teeth 

 are not very common, whereas it is very common to find dead 

 stags with missing teeth, and to kill stags in that state, as well 

 as with the whole of their front teeth missing. A complete 

 mouth must promote longevity. 



Husk Parasite The husk parasite cuts off some hinds, the severer frosts 



