ON COLLECTING HEADS 



SOME collectors buy any exceptionally good heads of various species 

 of deer and try to make a collection of record heads. 



In this, as in all collecting, great care must be taken to avoid 

 faked heads being palmed off on one. 



Personally, I do not care to collect any heads except such as 

 I have myself shot or bred ; but in buying heads the following 

 points, amongst numerous others, should be specially noticed : 



Heads are " improved " by adding points ; when neatly done 

 this is difficult to detect by a casual glance, especially if the head is 

 hung rather high. 



The added points are cut from other horns and neatly jointed on, 

 an eleven-pointer being made into a royal by adding a point either 

 to the beam or by making up a cup, according to circumstances, 

 and a stag with many points may by such means have several 

 added without rousing suspicion, unless this form of fraud is 

 anticipated. 



As the joints are hidden by modelling and then colouring a rough 

 surface over this part of the horn, it is dangerous to pick with 

 a knife at the origin of a suspicious point in order to ascertain if 

 it has been added and the junction puttied over, as one may 

 injure a genuine horn. A magnify ing-glass will, however, generally 

 detect the false joint. 



Bad-coloured horns are often coloured up, and the points sand- 



74 



