146 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. X. 



continues his rapid grazing, although perhaps not 

 much more than a rifle-shot from the roadside. In 

 the middle of the day the deer are seldom to be seen 

 except by a practised eye, as they are then at rest 

 and lying quietly, with little more than their head 

 and neck above the rough heath. In the early 

 morning or towards evening they feed downwards 

 towards the grassy sides of the rivers and burns. 

 In very hot weather the stags, tormented by 

 midges and flies on the lower grounds, keep on the 

 high mountains and ridges, where they have the 

 advantage of every cool breeze that blows. Hardy 

 as he naturally must be, the stag does not seem to 

 like exposing himself more than is necessary to ex- 

 tremes of heat and cold. In this respect the hinds 

 seem more hardy than their antlered lords. For 

 some time after they lose their horns in the be- 

 ginning of May the stags seem to feel helpless 

 and unarmed, retiring to out-of-the-way places, 

 where they remain as quiet and stationary as they 

 can, not wandering for from their hiding-place, 

 till their horns having in some m.easure grown, 

 they feel more able to keep their place amongst 

 their fellows. I have often heard people affirm that 

 they hide their horns invariably on casting them, 

 but this is by no means the case ; the horns are 

 constantly found; I have fi'equently picked them 



