THE MANAGEMENT OF DEER FORESTS 121 



to criticise- the proceedings in the Atholl forest in the 

 days of Scrope. I wonder whether Tortoise, in the 

 happy hunting grounds to the enjoyment of which 

 he is, we may hope, admitted knows that I too have 

 sinned against the very rules which I have laid down 

 as the canons of true deer forestry ; that in the days 

 of my youth I have gone out to the very middle of the 

 forest with a couple of pure-bred deerhounds, accom- 

 panied by anyone of either sex who had sufficiently 

 good wind, a supple figure, and active limbs, and 

 coursed, yes, actually coursed, a cold stag generally 

 unsuccessfully sometimes bringing him to bay, very 

 rarely pulling him down. Let us draw a veil over 

 these days of long ago with their joyous frivolities. 

 Ah me ! where are the good comrades of those 

 times ? 



To return to the matter of sanctuaries. I believe 

 most deer forests are furnished with a place of safety 

 where no rifle is ever allowed to be fired at any rate 

 until the latter part of the season and to which deer 

 know that they can resort and be at peace when 

 moved from other parls of the ground. 



I am inclined to think, though I know the opinion 

 is not shared by many experienced foresters, that 

 sanctuaries are just a little overdone. Of course, it 

 is not suggested that they are injurious to a forest. 



