114 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



deer of other continents, which a strong man can hold out at 

 arm's length. 



Such deterioration as the above has not occurred with the 

 mountain stag, for we find that in Northern Hungary and ad- 

 jacent Bukowina giants of the red deer species, ranging in 

 weight froi;n 35 to 40 stone (clean) are obtainable to this day, 

 while their heads, if not exhibiting such an abnormally large 

 number of tines as those to be found in the great historical 

 collections of antlers of the Continent, where heads up to 66 

 points are to be seen, are nevertheless' as heavy in the beam 

 and as wide spreading almost as the best which the sixteenth 

 century produced. Moreover, one must not forget when 

 examining these famous old collections that they represent a 

 zeal in sport and, in most instances, a lavishness almost in- 

 comprehensible in these modern utilitarian days ; a lavishnes 

 which in many instances wrecked the finances of the ruler and 

 of his country. History tells us that one enthusiast gave a full 

 battalion of his tallest grenadiers for a single pair of antlers two 

 centuries ago, while another offered a sum corresponding tos 

 5,000/. for another famous head, and offered it, moreover, in 

 vain. These are two instances of what perhaps to our remote 

 descendants may possibly not seem a more extraordinary proj 

 ceeding than the purchase of a few square feet of painteq 

 canvas for fifteen times that sum. 



If we search for the reason why the stag of the plains 

 lost so much more ground than his brother from the hills, we 

 come upon the same factor which has worked so much havoc 

 in Scotland, i.e. inbreeding. The forests of Central and North- 

 ern Europe (often tracts of enormous extent) were nevertheless 

 much more isolated from other breeding grounds than is the 

 whole system of the South European Alps, where nature has 

 always provided fresh blood with far greater regularity than 

 could possibly be the case in detached forests. 



To-day by far the largest heads and heaviest stags are to be 

 ound in the mountainous regions of Northern Hungary, where 

 are situated many great spcrting estates of the Austrian aristo- 





hai 



