102 SHORT STALKS 



wapiti was struck as he fell by my second bullet full in 

 the middle of the horn, between the l)ay and tray points, 

 but such is its strength and elasticity that even a solid 

 '500 missile failed to penetrate, only scooping out a cavity 

 about a third of its diameter in depth, and, springing to 

 one side, carrying away a great cantle of horn. 



While on the subject of horns, I should like to say a 

 word on the setting of them up. ]\Iany heads are to my 

 mind somewhat marred by the habit of mounting them 

 with the horns nearly upright and the nose tucked in 

 close to the neck, as if he were trying to see the top of his 

 head in a looking-glass, or had adopted the detestable 

 fashion of bearing-reins. This is no doubt done for the 

 purpose of showing the full height of the horns, and also 

 to avoid contact with the w\all, but it is not natural. No 

 stag could pass through l^rushw^ood in that attitude. He 

 habitually lays his horns back over his flanks. Thus the 

 facial angle should never be steeper than 45 degrees, but 

 the truer attitude is with neck sloped a little downwards 

 and the head nearly horizontal. 



Among other ills to which flesh is heir the waj^iti are 

 occasionally attacked, and ultimately killed, by a very 

 virulent form of scab. I believe it is contracted from the 

 big-horns, who probably first took it from some herds of 

 tame sheep. Once Gerald and I found a large stag, so 

 freshly dead that the wet foam still lay on his lips. The 

 ground and the surrounding scrub was trodden and torn 

 by the poor tortured beast in his dying agonies. The 

 disease must have been of rapid progress, for his horns 

 were very fine, and could have only been grown by a 

 healthy animal. 



