" This noble animal still retains some of its ancient glory." 



THE RED DEER 



LTHOUGH this noble animal 

 has fallen from the high 

 esteem in which it was 

 held during early Norman 

 times when it was con- 

 sidered a greater crime for 

 a poor man to destroy a 

 Deer than to take the life 

 of a fellow creature it still retains 

 some of its ancient glory, as is evi- 

 denced by the large number of parks in 

 which it is kept, and the high rents 

 charged for shooting it in Highland 

 forests. 



The Red Deer originally roamed over 

 the greater part of Europe, and is still 

 to be met with in a perfectly wild state 

 to a limited extent in both England 

 and Ireland, and more extensively 

 so in Scotland, on account of the 

 more mountainous character of that 

 country. 



It is a gregarious animal, although 



the old stags only consort with the 

 does and young males during the 

 " rutting " or breeding season, which 

 occurs at the end of September and 

 beginning of October, and lasts for 

 about three weeks. During the first- 

 named month the stags grow very un- 

 easy and roam a great deal, bellowing 

 until the hills ring with their challenging 

 notes. When a rival is encountered a 

 fierce battle is waged, and the victor 

 proudly marches off with the hinds, 

 that have been looking on, as his reward. 



Calves are born at the end of May 

 and beginning of June in some seques- 

 tered spot carefully selected by their 

 dam. 



Stags drop their antlers during the 

 spring, and, although apparently ill- 

 equipped for such a difficult task, eat 

 them. Whilst wandering about in High- 

 land forests I have, on more than one 

 occasion, come upon a partly consumed 



