146 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. X. 



his natural enemy, when he again continues his 

 rapid grazing, although perhaps not much more 

 than a rifle-shot from the roadside. In the middle 

 of the day the deer are seldom to be seen, except 

 by a practised eye, as they are then at rest and 

 lying quietly, with little more than their head and 

 neck above the rough heath. In the early morning 

 or towards evening they feed downwards towards 

 the grassy sides of the rivers and burns. In very 

 hot weather the stags, tormented by midges and 

 flies on the lower grounds, keep on the high moun- 

 tains and ridges, where they have the advantage 

 of every cool breeze that blows. Hardy as he 

 naturally must be, the stag does not seem to like 

 exposing himself more than is necessary to extremes 

 of heat and cold. In this respect the hinds seem 

 more hardy than their antlered lords. For some 

 time after they lose their horns in the beginning 

 of May the stags seem to feel helpless and unarmed, 

 retiring to out-of-the-way places, where they re- 

 main as quiet and stationary as they can, not 

 wandering far from their hiding-place, till their 

 horns having in some measure grown, they feel 

 more able to keep their place amongst their fellows. 

 I have often heard people affirm that they hide 

 their horns invariably on casting them, but this 

 is by no means the case ; the horns are constantly 



