CH. XXVII. DESTRUCTION OF OLD STAGS, 121 



numbers in certain preserved districts have, no 

 doubt, increased to a great extent ; but very few of 

 the fine, rugged, and far-stretching antlers, which 

 adorn the halls of many of the old houses in the 

 Highlands, are now to be met with on living deer. 

 Where not brought down by the licensed sportsman, a 

 fine-headed stag has now so high a premium offered 

 on his life in the price given for horns, that he is 

 sure to fall by the gun of some poacher or shepherd. 

 I have known as large a sum as five guineas given 

 for a stag's head : and when this is the case, nothing 

 else can be expected but that every stag whose 

 horns are peculiarly fine, will be killed. I have 

 occasionally shot roebucks, and still oftener does, 

 showing by their size, colour, length of hoofs, 

 &c., that they had reached a tolerable old age : 

 but, like all persecuted animals, the chance of 

 their attaining their full extent of days is so 

 slight as scarcely to give us the means of ascer- 

 taining how long they would live if secure from 

 danger. 



Sheep after seven or eight years lose their teeth, 

 more or less, and show symptoms of theu- best days 

 being past. But these, like all other domesticated 

 animals, do not afford a good criterion to judge by, 

 as they are all under an artificial system as to food 

 and manner of living, which makes them, like man, 



VOL. II. G 



