258 EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOKS. CU. XXXVI. 



A red deer killed in Perthshire or Argyleshire, 

 by the assistance of railway or steamboat is in 

 Liverpool or Manchester long before he has been 

 sufficiently kept to suit the palate of a civic epicure ; 

 and the poacher has such facilities in getting rid of 

 his killed game that half the risk of his occupation 

 is gone. The stag is scarcely cold before it is 

 whisked off two counties away. 



Considerable numbers of red deer are killed in 

 the neighbourhood of preserved places and forests 

 during the winter season. ^\nien his natural 

 grazing becomes scarce, a stag, if there be a 

 turnip field within half a dozen miles of his haunts, 

 is sure to find it out, and pay it nightly visits ; at 

 first, coming alone, but soon accompanied by a herd 

 of followers, who do great damage to the farmer by 

 trampling down and eating the turnips. The 

 owner of the field, if he has so little of a High- 

 lander about him as to be able to resist having a 

 shot at the deer himself, is sure to have some 

 hanger-on or acquaintance who will take the trouble 

 off" his hands : accordingly, w^hen the moon is of a 

 good age, a hole is dug in the middle of the field 

 during the day-time, while the nightly marauders 

 are miles away. Towards twilight the poacher 

 conceals himself in this rough hiding-place ; if 

 there is snow on the ground he puts on a white cap 



