peculiarity of the Islay Forest, about which Mr. Cameron specially writes, is the habitual recurrence of 'cromie heads' (Gaelic: cromagach, 'crooked'). 'There is no question of organic injury, no apparent reference to ancestral legacies, no reason to suppose that in-breeding produces effects in one island or district which it does not produce in another. "Cromie" antlers slope backwards, very much after one type, and are often of great beauty.' It is hardly necessary to remind the public that the colour of red deer varies not only with the summer and winter coat-for that is obvious-but also with particular districts. The Scotch stag which has been referred to as introduced to Martindale was of a greyer colour than the Lakeland stags. Mr. Carter remarks that this variation is not confined to the coat but also applies to the irides. Some are much lighter coloured than others, and have an eye with a strawcoloured iris; others have a dark brown eye, and the red of the bodies and the browns and grey about the face, neck, and legs much darker in tone. So far as my experience goes, I am of opinion that the dark deer belong to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and the light-eyed deer of a lighter and more mealy colour, belong to the parks and lowlands, being also larger and partaking more of the character of the

continental deer.' ('Zoologist,' 1887, p. 324.) Red deer vary little in the direction of leucotism or albinism in a wild state, while pied varieties appear to be unknown even on the Continent. But white and cream-coloured stags, and hinds also, are well known to occur in parks in England as well as in Germany. No white deer have ever been known to occur in Martindale; but Gowbarrow Park, anciently called 'Wethermlake,' on the opposite side of Ulleswater, boasts of such a distinction. Mr. Henry Howard of Greystoke Castle wrote to me four years ago, to inform me that 'The white stag came (to Gowbarrow) from Mr. Petre or Lord Petre, who used to keep staghounds. I believe the breed originally came from Germany. He lived a long time at Gowbarrow, and was killed eventually when very old (between 1860 and 1870), by the other stags setting on him and killing him. There are still several white deer, descendants of his, left at Gowbarrow.' Pure white red deer have been turned out on one or two Scottish forests; but they are seldom met with outside English parks. No doubt their peculiar appearance exposes them to dangers from which other deer are shielded by their protective colouration.

CHAPTER III

ECHOES OF THE CHASE

THE Sculptured stones of ancient Scotland are eloquent witnesses to the early history of our forefathers. The carvings which have survived the vicissitudes of centuries are crude in form, as well as simple in the ideas which they serve to embody. None the less vividly do they portray for us the stormy days amidst which the Celt held his own against many odds, and ruled the shores and hillsides of his native country. The numerous hunting scenes, in particular, possess a certain fascination for men who sympathise with the hardships and perils of the chase. Full of vigour were the brawny spearsmen of those days, as bold in spearing the monarch of the glen as in fighting for the sacred cause of hearth and home. The spear was often replaced by the flight of a wellpoised arrow; but whatever weapon served the necessity of the hour, the hunter's success depended

largely upon the assistance of the powerful hounds whose strength and courage were relied upon to serve their master in the moment of need,-as when a wounded hart stood at bay with head lowered in proud defiance of the horse and his rider. Whether the Celts excavated pitfalls, into which deer could be driven with the assistance of hounds, is a point upon which I am unable at present to pronounce a positive opinion. Certainly the use of pitfalls is common to many uncivilised nations; nor is it among savages alone that we find evidence that pitfalls are in favour for hunting purposes. The Chinese and the Japanese both make frequent use of covered pits to capture wild animals. The modern Japanese are adept at capturing deer, which they do in more ways than one. For example, a light is sometimes employed to attract deer within shot. In this case the hunters betake themselves to the mountains in the evening, carrying a peculiar kind of torch. This consists of a long bamboo, which bears a sort of wire cage, filled with resin and fine chips of wood. When this is lighted in a forest glade, any deer that happen to be in the vicinity gather round the mysterious light and are shot by the ambushed Japanese.

A similar device is to build a rude hut, in a line with which a dried bamboo is planted in the ground,

The bamboo is smeared with wax or resin, and serves the purpose of a torch or beacon.

The unsophisticated deer are attracted to the spot by the blaze of light, only to be shot down by the party ensconced within the hut. When pitfalls are employed, the hunters take care to excavate the soil to such a depth that the deer cannot leap out of the hole. The pitfall is carefully covered over with slender bamboos and grasses. The male deer are attracted to the vicinity of the pits intended for their destruction by means of a call, which is made from the skin of an unborn fawn. This instrument is required to enable the hunter to imitate the call of the female deer. When the wild stags hear the cry of the other sex they hasten in search of their consorts. It is while seeking for their mates that they usually drop into the pitfalls. The Chinese frequently shoot deer; but the quarry more often than not is marked down in cover. Nets are then placed around the thickets, and drivers accompanied by dogs proceed to drive the deer into the nets. Mr. F. W. Styan, F.Z.S., tells me that the Chinese attach great value to the velvet of the stag of Kopsch's deer, which inhabits certain hills which lie to the south of the Yangtze valley. The velvet is in request for so-called medicinal purposes. Accordingly, the natives organise large