44 DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



decrease in size after the age of twelve. The largest antlers 

 he has met with there, with the skull part attached, weigh 

 about twelve pounds. 



The deer, like many other animals, seem to foresee every 

 change of weather : at the approach of a storm they leave 

 the higher hills, and descend to the low grounds, sometimes 

 even two days before the change takes place. Again, at the 

 approach of a thaw, they leave the low grounds and go to 

 the mountains by a similar anticipation of change. They 

 never perish in snow drifts, like sheep, since they do not 

 shelter themselves in hollows, but keep the bare ground, 

 and eat the tops of the heather. 



One would imagine that in a severe storm many would 

 perish by avalanches. But, during the long period of sixty 

 years, Mr. John Crerer remembers but two accidents of this 

 nature. These were in Glen Mark : eleven were killed by 

 one fall, and twenty-one by another : the snow in its 

 descent carried the deer along with it into the glen and 

 across the burn, and rolled up a little way on the opposite 

 brae, where the animals were smothered. 



Harts are excellent swimmers ; and will pass from island 

 to island in quest of hinds, or change of food. It is asserted 

 that the rear hart in swimming rests his head on the croup 

 of the one before him ; and that all follow in the same 

 manner. 



When a herd of deer are driven, they follow each other 

 in a line ; so that when they cross the stalker it is customary 

 for him to lie quiet, and suffer the leaders to pass before he 

 raises his rifle ; if he were to fire at the first that appeared, 

 he would probably turn the whole of them ; or if he were 

 to run forward injudiciously after a few had passed, the 

 remainder, instead of following the others in a direct line, 

 would not cross him except under particular circumstances 

 and dispositions of ground, but would bear off an end, and 

 join the others afterwards. It must be remarked, however, 

 that when deer are hard pressed by a dog, they run iu a 

 compact mass, the tail ones endeavouring to wedge them- 

 selves into it. They will also run in this manner when 

 pressed by drivers on the open moor. But they are sensible 

 that they could not pass the narrow oblique paths that are 



