398 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Lord Malmesbury relates that he was once attacked by a deer 
in this way himself :— 
“1849, Sept. 22nd. —I had been out deer-stalking; and as I was 
returning home alone, and by bright moonlight, I saw a hind on the hill a 
little above the road and shot her; but just as I was stooping over her with 
a knife, she sprung up and struck at me with one of her fore-feet, hitting me 
in the forehead just between the eyes. The blow was so violent that it 
knocked me down and stunned me for a short time, and on recovering my 
senses I found I was quite blind, but this was only from the blood. Her 
hoof had cut a deep gash in my forehead and along my nose. The animal 
was lying quite dead by my side. I walked to the house, which was not 
far off, and the maid who opened the door was so frightened at my appear- 
ance that she fainted forthwith. This laid me up for a week, but with uo 
further consequences ” (vol. i., p. 253). 
At his hospitable country seat, Heron Court, near Christ- 
church, Hants, he used to enjoy some of the best wildfowl- 
shooting to be had in this country, and fortunate were the guests 
who were invited to participate in it :— 
«1850, Nov. 15th.—Heron Court. Lord Clanwilliam and Lord Stanley 
arrived. The two being the quickest men I know, amused us much by 
chaffing one another, and I think on the whole Lord Clanwilliam had the 
best of it. ‘They both of them enjoyed the wildfowl-shooting very much, 
and were as eager as two boys” (vol i., p. 266). 
It would have been interesting to know what the ‘‘bag”’ was 
on this occasion, as also on other occasions when the diary refers 
to the noble author’s having enjoyed several days’ covert shooting 
at Knowsley :— 
“1851, Nov. 10th.—Arrived at Knowsley. Lord Stanley (now Earl of 
Derby) looks very ill. Great battue shooting for next three days.” 
His own success in shooting he rarely chronicled, although in 
his best days he must have been no mean performer with a gun. 
Here is the result of one shot, however, of which he was justly 
proud :— 
“1854, Jan. 6th.—I stalked a flock of Wild Geese behind my pony and 
got within thirty yards of them, killing five. Very severe weather, with a 
gale from the 8.W., and snow ” (vol. 1., p. 421). 
Occasionally Lord Malmesbury was the guest of the late 
Prince Consort at Balmoral, where, as might be expected, he 
enjoyed both good and varied sport. He relates the following 
amusing incident during a deer-drive in which he took part :— 
