58 British Deer and their Horns 
do not believe, notwithstanding the fact that some years ago a sensational account of such 
a scene appeared in the Illustrated London News , accompanied by an excellent drawing by 
the late Burton Barber. The strength and activity of a stag are more than a match for 
the strongest man, as has been unhappily proved more than once. It is hardly likely, 
therefore, that a bird weighing only some 12 to 15 lbs., and incapable of giving a shock 
like a falcon, could hold on to such an adversary when fairly roused. But the sensational 
A DRIVE 
is what the public love both in literature and in art, or such a canvas as Landseer’s “ The 
Swannery invaded by Eagles ” could hardly be taken au serieux. 
Without doubt the golden eagle is the grandest of all our feathered tribe, and its 
marked increase during the last few years is a source of real enjoyment to all sportsmen 
who appreciate the beauties of nature. One day in October 1894 I saw five all together 
soaring in circles above Ben Toig, and my brother Geoff tells me that in the same year 
he and a stalker disturbed six from the precipice in Corrie Arder (Ardverikie), the scene 
of Landseer’s “ Eagle’s Nest.” 
The bird that really requires protection now in Scotland is the raven, which in most 
districts is rapidly becoming extinct. In 1895 I wanted a freshly-killed specimen for a 
