FEROCITY OF DEER. 47 



Stags, although they have frequent and ferocious combats 

 amongst their own species during the rutting season, have 

 been seldom known to attack men, in any other way than 

 in self-defence. No instance of the sort ever occurred to 

 me, nor to Mr. John Crerer, who shot sixty years in the 

 forest of Atholl. Once, indeed, he incurred a sort of rebuff 

 by his own imprudence ; being a very powerful man, he got 

 behind a stag, which was at bay at Glenmore, and thought 

 it advisable to take hold of his hind leg, and endeavour to 

 throw him over ; but when about to do so, the animal 

 saluted him with both his hind legs, and with such effect, 

 that one of his hoofs broke his watch, and the other struck 

 him in the mouth, knocked out one of his teeth, and sent 

 him sprawling on his back to the edge of the water. The 

 only instance I ever heard of in that forest, of an offensive 

 assault on man, was recounted to me by the late Duke of 

 Atholl. His Grace had wounded a hart, and one of the 

 deer-hounds flew at him and seized hold of his ear ; when 

 the duke came up, the hart sprung forward with his head 

 down (the dog still hanging to his ear), and was rushing to 

 the attack, but his Grace escaped the danger by sending a 

 ball through his forehead. This, as I have said, is the only 

 instance I ever heard of an offensive attack upon man by 

 deer upon the wild mountains ; and it must be observed, 

 that the animal here in question was rendered furious by 

 the dog, and by the pain of his wound. It is, however, at 

 all times dangerous to approach a wounded deer too nearly, 

 for, in self-defence, he would not hesitate to kill any living 

 thing that came within reach of his pointed antlers. An 

 instance is recorded of a red deer having beat off a tiger, 

 which was set loose upon it in an inclosed arena, at the 

 instance of William Duke of Cumberland. But if stags in 

 euch wild regions stand in awe of man, they have not 

 always the same respect when they become more familiar 

 with him. 



" Some years ago," says Gilpin, " a stag in the New Forest, 

 pressed by the hunters, and just entering a thicket, was 

 opposed by a peasant, who foolishly, with his arms extended, 

 attempted to turn him. The stag held his course, and dart- 

 ing one of his antlers into the man, earned him off some 



