DEVON AND SOMERSET. 153 



Sir Alexander Acland-Hood, and claims to be 

 the largest wild trophy ever secured in the 

 British Islands. Other heads run it close, notably 

 one killed near Stoodleigh by the Tiverton 

 Staghounds ; but for sheer weight of beam it 

 will probably never be surpassed. This stag, for 

 all his massive proportions, showed no fight 

 whatever when run to bay. 



An aged deer, long past all ordinary mark, 

 was taken early in the next season after a meet 

 at Exford, another stag roused with him being 

 subsequently hunted and secured. 



On arriving at Cloutsham on Friday, the 

 15th August, 1894, I learnt some interesting 

 details as to the age of the first of the two 

 Court Wood stags killed on Wednesday at 

 Larcombe Foot. It appears that no less than 

 seventeen years ago the deer was taken alive 

 when less than two years old, and having been 

 somewhat injured by the hounds was, by the 

 late Mr. Bisset's orders, turned out again some 

 time afterwards, when fully recovered. From 

 that date to the present time, he would seem 

 to have secluded himself so effectually as to 

 have avoided hounds and huntsman altogether. 

 The marks on his ears, which, I am told, were 

 placed there by ]\Ir. Bawden, of Hawkridge, 

 were what is technically known as a "square 

 halfpenny" and a "swallow tail." It will be re- 

 membered that his head, though wide-spreading 



