RED DEER iS 



Red deer, in the widest sense of the term, are inhabitants of 

 Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, and Northern Persia. In the 

 typical red deer {C. elaphus typiciis) of Western, Northern, and Central 

 Europe, the antlers attain their maximum degree of complexity, 

 sometimes having twenty or even more points, although in many 

 Scotch examples the bez tine is wanting. In a park red deer killed at 

 Spetchley Park the weight was 419 lbs. gross, and 216 when cleaned ; 

 while in one shot at Knowsley many years ago the clean weight was 

 no less than 424 lbs. The height at the shoulder now reaches about 

 4 feet. H.R.H. the Duke of Braganza saw a continental stag shot 

 which scaled 41 stone 10 lbs. two years ago, and last year H.R.H. 

 shot a I o-pointer with a spread of S 5 inches. 



The Corsican red deer {C. elaphus corsicanus), of Corsica and 

 Sardinia, is a very small race, with the bez tine of the antlers wanting, 

 and the general colour of the upper parts dark brown in summer and 

 blackish in winter. Nearly allied is the North African red deer {C. 

 elaphus barbarus), which is of rather larger dimensions, with a grayish- 

 brown streak down the middle of the back, and small irregular whitish 

 spots on the flanks and sometimes on the back ; traces of such spots 

 being occasionally observable in the summer coat of does of the typical 

 race. The bez tine seems to be very generally wanting. 



The Caspian red deer {C. elaphus maral) is a large variety, 

 described on page 33. 



Lord Tweedmouth furnishes the following dimensions of his fine 

 Scotch stag : — 



Widest span over all, 39^ inches ; span inside below cups, 34 

 inches ; span outside below cups, 37 inches. 



Right antler. — Length, 39 inches ; length of brow, lO;^ inches ; of 

 bez, I o inches ; of trez, 1 3 inches. Length of tines in cup, i o, 7, \\ 

 inches. Circumference at coronet, 8^ inches ; between bez and trez, 'j\ 

 inches ; above trez, 6 inches. 



Left antler. — Length, 3 8 inches ; of brow, i o inches ; of bez, 8 

 inches ; of trez, 1 1 inches. Length of tines in cup, 8, 6, and 4 inches. 

 Circumference at coronet, 9 inches ; between bez and trez, 'j\ inches ; 

 above tray, 6^ inches. 



Shot, October 9, 1880. Weight, 21 stone 9 lbs. ; clean, but stag 

 was much run. 



