THE STAG OF THE ALPS 113 



greater punctilious care and method than was bestowed upon 

 the most important papers of state, brings to light narratives 

 of sport and details about the animals themselves which make 

 comparison with the puny forms, shrunken number, and dwarfed 

 antlers of to-day a matter of suggestive interest. To cite 

 only one instance : is it not startling to read that the Elector 

 of Saxony killed in forty-five years (161 1 to 1656) — during 

 which, we must not forget, the Thirty Years' War was ravaging 

 Germany — no fewer than 47,239 head of red deer, of which 

 24,563 were stags? Amongst them there were : 



I stag of thirty points 

 I „ twenty-eight points 

 I „ twenty- six „ 

 3 „ twenty-four „ 



9 ,, twenty-two „ 



24 stags of twenty points 

 131 „ eighteen „ 

 373 „ sixteen „ 

 ,192 „ fourteen „ 



whilst as to weight the following figures tell their own story : the 

 heaviest stag (killed somewhat early in the season, August 17, 

 1646), weighed 61 stone 11 lbs., fifty-nine stags exceeded 

 56 stone, 651 exceeded 48 stone, 2,679 exceeded 40 stone, 

 and 4,139 exceeded 32 stone. It is interesting to compare 

 with these figures the bag of the descendant of the above 

 potentate — i.e. the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg, an equally keen 

 sportsman, with opportunities, in comparison, much the same 

 as his great ancestor. ^He, as we find from compilations 

 placed at the writer's disposal, killed in forty-nine years 

 (1837 to 1886) 3,283 red deer, of which 2,316 were stags, and 

 of these there were one of 24 points, two of 22, four of 20, 

 eight of 18, and 164 of 16 and 14 points ; whilst in respect 

 to weight, the best forests of Germany did not return a single 

 Stag equal to that of the lowest in the Elector George's list, i.e. 

 32 stone. If deterioration continues at the same rate, the de- 

 scendants of the Duke of Edinburgh, who has now succeeded 

 to the throne of this doughty race of Nimrods, will have to be 

 satisfied with stags of proportions akin to those of the dwarf 



