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: 1887 ] Hornless Ruminants. 733 
“ Allow me to say that hornless or ‘hummel’ stags, as they 
are termed in the Highlands, although seldom shot, are not quite 
so rare as is often supposed. When a herd of stags is found the 
telescopes of the sportsmen are usually directed towards those 
with the finest horns, and thus the ‘hummels’ are apt to escape 
notice in the crowd; but whenever a herd of several hundred 
stags is collected together, it will be found, oftener than not, if 
carefully examined with the, glass, to contain one or more ‘ hum- 
mels? The stag whose head your correspondent refers to was 
shot by me six years ago in Ben Wyvis Forest, Ross-shire, 
where it had been known for several years. At the time I shot 
it it was in company with about three hundred and fifty other 
stags,among which I observed two other ‘hummels’ younger 
than the one which I killed. 
“In point of size and condition, these stags are in no respect 
inferior to their horned brethren. The stag referred to weighed 
over sixteen stones, and I recollect seeing another, shot by the 
Duke of Westminster in the Reay Forest, Sutherlandshire, which 
also exceeded sixteen stones weight, both of these being weighed 
‘clean,’—that is, without heart, liver, or entrails. : 
“Strange as it may seem, a full-grown ‘hummel’ is sometimes 
very formidable in fight. I have seen one during the rutting 
season in possession of a large herd of hinds, who succeeded in 
driving off all his horned rivals. 
“Although devoid of horns, the heads of those which I have 
seen have had slight excrescences, concealed by hair and covered 
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: B von Nathusius, Altaldensleben, province of Saxony, sup- 
Plies the following interesting notes : ! 
.  Hornless stags are of no rare occurrence in some parts of 
: ny. I know of their occurrence in a wild state in the 
= M untains and in the royal deer-forests of the Gorde oe 
