82 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



knows, varies in different forests ; there are usually 

 most points where there is most wood, or good 

 winter feeding and shelter. It is the opinion of 

 Lord Lovat, as stated in the volume above referred 

 to, that in hill deer heads go on improving up to 

 the age of twelve or fifteen years ; on low ground, 

 with more forcing food, they come to maturity 

 sooner. The heads then remain about the same for 

 some years, after which they gradually lose beam, 

 get smoother from the blood vessels being no 

 longer so vigorous, the points taper more, and are 

 shorter, till finally the head dwindles to half its 

 former size. 



The late Duke of Athole collected and preserved 

 the shed horns of certain park stags that were 

 known, and whose horns could be found and 

 identified as soon as dropped, and he noticed that 

 at the age of twelve or thirteen they began to 

 deteriorate. 



Some years ago Mr J. Clarke, of Lynton, being 

 anxious to settle certain points in connection with 

 the growth of deer horns, upon which a difference 

 of opinion prevailed, conceived the idea of keeping 

 a red stag in a paddock under his own immediate 

 supervision, and making regular observations upon 

 it, till it reached the condition of a fully-grown adult 

 animal. This he carried out, published the result of 

 his observations in The Field oCHov&mh&v ii, 1865, 

 and subsequently in a small pamphlet printed at 

 Barnstaple in 1866, but which has long been out of 

 print and unprocurable. It has been reprinted, 

 however, in The Zoologist for September 1884, and 



