THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
His horns were as follows: First pair (as usual); second pair, 11 points; 
third pair, 12 points; fourth pair, 12 points; fifth pair, 13 points 
(weight, 7 lb. 4 oz.); sixth pair, 14 points (weight, 9 lb.); seventh pair, 
14 points (weight, 9| lb.); eighth pair, 15 points (weight, 10| lb.); ninth 
pair, 14 points (weight, 11 lb.); tenth pair, 15 points (weight, 11| lb.); 
eleventh pair, 14 points (weight, Ilf lb.); twelfth pair, 15 points (weight, 
12ilb.).” 
The largest head for all-round measurements of what is said to be a 
purely wild Scottish stag kept under semi-feral conditions, is No. 4 on 
the list. It was shot by Mr Thos. Pilkington at Sandside, in Caithness, 
in September, 1912. As I knew that Mr Pilkington had recently received 
park stags from Warnham, I wrote to him for particulars of his remark- 
able deer, and received the following reply: 
“ I have much pleasure in telling you all that I can about the stag in 
question, which was a purely wild-bred animal without any park blood 
in its veins. I have, as you know, Warnham stags at Sandside, but the 
stag we are concerned with appeared on my ground before their advent. 
He had a head so exceptionally fine that we spared him, year after year, 
until 1912, when we thought he had reached his prime, and so I shot him.” 
I have recently seen the head in the possession of Mr Pilkington in London 
and should say it is the largest and finest semi -feral head that has come 
under my notice. It is slightly better than a stag brought as a wild calf 
from Ben Wyvis and killed in Warnham Park at eleven years of age, 
whose horns measure 40 inches in length and 41 -inch spread over all, 
but the two heads are much the same in character, and show what good 
feeding and protection will do for wild animals. 
I suspected that the Sandside stag might have wandered from Berriedale 
in its youth, where Welbeck stags have been released amongst the wild 
deer for many years, but the Duke of Portland, in a letter to me (December, 
1912) says: ‘‘ I do not think, in fact I feel sure, that the Sandside stag 
had anything whatever to do with Langwell. Mr Pilkington had the deer 
caught and fed in his deer park till it was released and killed. At the present 
moment there is in the park at Langwell a young stag I have kept in 
and which promises to be a beast of the same class. Welbeck stags have 
been turned out during the rutting season at Langwell for the past thirty- 
five years.” 
It is a pity that the head stalker at Sandside should have published 
measurements of the ‘‘ Sandside stag ” in a Scottish paper, stating that it 
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