OF THE STAG'S HEAD. 43 



The original Irish deer, judging from the mag- 

 nificent specimens which have been recovered 

 from the peat bogs, and now grace the halls at 

 Longleat, Adare, Powerscourt, and other places, 

 were not only of larger size, but they carried in many 

 cases four rights or points below the fork on 

 top. This is commonly found at the present 

 day in German forests, but is extremely rare in 

 England. 



Deer with one horn are not infrequent, and at one 

 time there were several on the Quantock Hills. 

 Whether the peculiarity is, or is not, hereditary has 

 been much debated, but at the time when there 

 were so many on the Quantocks there was one 

 very old stag there who might well have sired 

 the rest. 



In some cases there is no doubt that the 

 loss of the antler is due to injury, and more 

 than one stag has been found to lack the eye 

 on that side as well. A one-horned stag: is 

 usually much more savage than one whose antlers 

 are perfect.* 



On October 4th, 1901, a stag with three horns 

 was killed in the Exe. The question which exercised 

 the/^minds of those who saw the head was whether 

 the long spire, 21 J inches long, which ran upwards 



* Nott stags, that is stags with no horns, are comparatively 

 common, one being seen at intervals of about five or si.x years ; 

 they generally live to a good age, as only the initiated can tell 

 them from hinds at a distance, so they are not " holloaed." 



