2 Deer Breeding for Fine Heads 



the type are preserved in old Scotch castles, a photograph of one 

 of which is here reproduced. 



Seeing, then, that there is no living " Highland head/' it is useless 

 to complain that the type is being spoilt ; and the only thing to do 

 is to try to breed the best possible heads of the Continental type. 



When the horns have too many points they spoil the symmetry 

 of a head : "sixteen or eighteen points look much better than twenty- 

 four or more.' 



The Warnham herd, as was formerly the case with the Stoke 

 Park herd, has very fine heads ; and a cross from the Warnham 

 herd improves most herds. 



In a later section it is explained how red deer may be improved 

 as to both head and body by crossing with allied species, like the 

 wapiti of the American Continent and the Altai stag, which is really 

 only an Asiatic form of the wapiti. 



All such crosses and hybrids are fertile, and by breeding from 

 the products of these crosses we get the red deer as distinct from 

 the wapiti type of head ; such heads are indeed very large and 

 strong, much superior to any modern pure red deer, and recalling 

 the magnificent heads preserved in old German castles. 



In all parks it is of the utmost importance to change the 

 pasture of deer, that is to say, to fence off a part of the park, 

 purify it, and get it fresh for a year or more, and then let the deer 

 in and shut them off from their old ground, which is then treated 

 in the same way. A restricted area is sure to get stale and 

 unsuitable for deer, if constantly occupied by them. 



I have found chalk spread on the unoccupied ground very 

 advantageous as a means of renovation. 



