SEPT. RED DEER. 291 



given of our Scotch fishing by one who thus prac- 

 tised the gentle craft of angling on the level grassy 

 banks of the lower pools of the Findhorn, to that of 

 the sportsman who followed up the pursuit of the 

 salmon over the rugged, and often dangerous, passes 

 of the rocks which overhang the deep black pools 

 and rushing torrents of the same river between 

 Dulsie Bridge and the Heronry. 



Most of the roebucks have, by the end of Sep- 

 tember, put on their winter covering of rich mouse- 

 coloured hair ; so different from the thin red coat 

 they wear during the summer. Until they have quite 

 changed colour, the roe are not in sufficiently good 

 condition to make them a fit object of pursuit for 

 the sportsman. The stag is, however, in perfection, 

 both as to condition and beauty, during this month. 



The size of the horns of the red deer depends to 

 a certain degree on the feeding which the animal 

 gets in the spring and end of winter. If his food 

 has been poor, and if he is much reduced, the horns 

 do not acquire their full development and size. 

 Fine heads of horns are now much rarer than they 

 were a few years ago. The reason of this, probably 

 is, that the stag before it attains a mature age gene- 

 rally falls a victim to one of the numerous English 

 rifles, whose echoes are heard in almost every High- 

 land corrie. Even where deer are most carefully 



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