THE ELK 
country, as in Upper Namdalen, the horns are often reduced to long single 
blades without palmation. 
It is not generally known, either to sportsmen or naturalists, that 
the finest European elk are found in the marshes of Pinsk in Poland. I 
have only seen two heads from this district, but they are remarkable. The 
best and in fact the finest European trophy of this animal is in the Museum 
of Lemberg and one only a little inferior is in the collection of Prince 
Henry of Liechtenstein in Vienna.* Perhaps the next two best were those 
shown at the Vienna Exhibition in 1910 respectively in the Courts of Sweden 
and Norway.f Both of these were remarkable trophies as fine as average 
New Brunswick moose. The widest head I have seen in British collections 
is one of 52 in. (with 18 points), owned by my friend, Mr Henry Elwes; 
but a 24 -pointer in the collection of the late Sir Henry PottingerJ is about 
the best example in British collections, though scarcely superior to a 20- 
pointer of 51 f in. span owned and shot by Captain Gerrard Ferrand. 
Sir Peter Walker has an unusually fine 24-pointer of 43| in. span killed by 
himself in Norway. Horns over 40 -inch span and carrying more than 
20 points are rare. 
The elk of Russia are a smaller and blacker race, and fine horns are 
exceedingly rare in that country. In Finland elk are increasing rapidly, 
but their horns are not nearly so fine as those of Norway and Sweden. In 
1910 538 elk were killed in Finland (89 in Nylands Lehn, 210 in Uro and 
Bjomeberg’s Lehn, 91 in Masa Lehn, 27 in Vleaborg’s Lehn, 1 in Knopio 
Lehn and 120 in Tarastehns Lehn). In 1911 in the eight days allowed for 
the shooting season 426 were shot in Nylands Lehn alone. 
As regards the East Prussian and Prussian -Lithuanian elk Mr Ernest 
Schaff writes (“Field,” July 30, 1910): 
“ While red deer are distributed over a large part of the Empire, 
the elk is restricted to a few localities in the easternmost parts of 
Prussia. Usually the forest of Ibenhorst, in the district of Gumbinnen, 
is said to be their chief haunt; they are, however, also found in many 
*A head killed by Count Stanislas Czapski, at Hanceloicze, in Poland, on Sept. 9, 1898, measures 35£ inches in 
length, and is larger than any Scandinavian example. I have not seen this head, but Prince Liechtenstein tells me 
it is the finest example killed in Europe in recent times. The points are 24 and breadth of palm 10$ inches. 
fThe elk head that obtained the first prize at Vienna was a Swedish one killed at Murjek in 1899. Its weight 
with small frontlet is 25 kilos, points 20, span 135 cm. The best Norwegian head, scarcely inferior, but not quite 
so massive, carried 27 points. 
|Sir Henry Pottinger wounded and lost the finest Norwegian elk he ever saw, but one of its dropped horns, 
which he showed me, is of remarkable size. It carries 16 points, and has a breadth of palm of 13 inches. In life 
this elk must have been a 32-pointer with a span of 54 or 56 inches, a veritable giant. 
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