ANIMALS IN SOCIETY 25 



has not Jed to any further progress. On the other 

 hand it may be doubted whether the large gregarious 

 animals have any sufficient motive for progress at all. 

 Their life consists in the daily repetition of a few 

 actions which satisfy all their wants ; they develop 

 no new ones ; and for them life may perhaps have 

 reached perfection. One rather curious exception to 

 this extreme simplicity and incompleteness of the 

 * society ' of the deer tribe is noted by Lord Lovat, 

 in his essays on ' The Highland Deer ' in the ' Bad- 

 minton Library.' Large stags are often attended by 

 a smaller stag, who acts as a kind of servant and 

 humble companion to the big beast. 4 In sheep- 

 ground, or where there are few deer,' writes Lord 

 Lovat, ' a big stag is seldom found quite alone ; 

 he has a small one as his slave. This little fellow 

 has to do all the dirty work in fact, fag for his 

 master. The old gentleman lies snug in a hole out 

 of the wind, or sheltered from the flies ; the slave 

 has to lie out on the hillock, where he can see ; and 

 if, trusting to the old fellow being asleep, he looks 

 out for a snug corner for himself, woe betide 

 him if his master catches him. In an instant he 

 rushes out upon his fag, and drives him back to his 

 post. Then if there is any doubt as to the safety 

 of the road, the little stag has to go on in front, 

 driven on by the horns or fore-feet of the big one.' 



