THE RED DEER 



indigenous in the British Islands, where in pre-historic times and for long 

 afterwards it was abundant in the vast forests covering the face of the land. 



The chase of the Stag formed one of the favourite pastimes of the 

 Norman Kings and their followers, who reserved large tracts of country 

 in which they could indulge in the sport, and where the deer and other 

 wild animals were protected under the cruel forest law. 



A few Red Deer still linger in the New Forest, and many more 

 among the moors and woodlands of North Devon and Somerset. Some 

 also remain in Westmorland, besides numerous herds living under semi- 

 feral conditions, or in parks. According to Mr. Millais {Mammals of Great 

 Britain and Ireland^ vol. iii. p. 109), thirty-one parks and more than 

 seventy hays (small enclosures) are mentioned in Domesday Book as exist- 

 ing at the time, and of these only one remains to-day, namely. Bridge Park 

 (Reredfelle) in Sussex, the property of Lord Abergavenny. 



In Scotland, north of the Forth and Clyde, deer forests are numerous, 

 the land under deer having increased enormously since the beginning of 

 the nineteenth century, until at one time the territory given over to these 

 animals stretched almost from sea to sea across parts of northern Scotland. 



Since the late war, however, much of this wild country has been 

 utilized for the grazing of sheep. 



To those who have been privileged to watch the Red Deer among 

 the glens and hills of Scotland, or to hear his wild and far-reaching 

 notes of defiance as he challenges some rival, nothing else would seem 

 to fit in so well with the spirit of his surroundings as this fine animal, 

 whose form is a model of strength and elegance. 



One wonders at his stoutness of heart and untiring muscles as he 

 breasts some hill without a pause with his long swinging stride. 



The breeding season begins in October, and after this the sexes 

 separate and keep more or less apart till the following autumn. 



II. 



41 



