NOVEMBER 251 



bay. The bay tine is of the extraordinary length of 

 20| inches. 



So long as Scottish red deer exist in their present 

 environment, exposed in winter to long periods of 

 slashing wet and violent winds — conditions far more 

 trying to these animals than severe dry cold — so long 

 must they remain but stunted representatives of their 

 kind. Moreover, expulsion of the deer from the low 

 ground and the destruction of the forest (using that 

 term to denote extensive natural woodland) has 

 deprived them of much of their food supply. Except 

 in so far as hand-feeding mitigates the suffering of the 

 herds in hard weather, their existence is one of sum- 

 mer glut and winter famine. ' Most of the deer tribe,' 

 says Mr. Winans, ' are fond of eating leaves ; and if a 

 branch falls or is blown down, all the deer in the park 

 seem to know of it at once, and come galloping up 

 from all directions to feed on the leaves.' 



Those who have experienced the rigours of a High- 

 land spring at even moderate altitudes will have noted 

 that May is well-nigh spent before there is any appreci- 

 able growth of grass in the deer ground, and will have 

 realised to what hardship the poor animals are exposed 

 as the result of exclusion from their natural winter 

 quarters. This circumstance alone would account for 

 the deterioration of Highland red deer ; nor can I share 

 Mr. Winans' faith in regenerating them by crossing 

 the native race with allied species such as the wapiti 

 of North America and the Altai deer, which is the 

 Asiatic form of wapiti, so long, I mean, as the native 

 race remains under the present conditions of exposure 



