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W. Scrope's Art of Red Deer Stalking

p. 9. once killed large mountain hart, & yet had no horns!

p. 9. The horns found in the Peat mosses are infinitely larger than those ever seen on living animals (N.B he knows well species) attributes it to altered country & disappearance of great woods & want of food. (some cases of Lithuanian cattle)

p. 10 Once killed in numbers in the winter when driven by hunger owing to snow & fall into tarns or brooks, getting aquatic plants & peat mosses, & so are weak, that they cannot get out. The males kill each other & exhaust each other by their combats.

When, also, spring comes, they overeat themselves & have murrain not unlike the sort in sheep.

p. 11 The stags which have fed on the lower grounds are now larger than those on the hills. Duke of Atholl killed one hart which weighed 30 st. 6 lb. At Woburn when his horns were still less than those in the Peat an outlyer was killed 34 st: this much large than any Scotch stag.

In Glengarry forest they are larger & probably in Sutherland largest.

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I think we may conclude from the case of the stags; that deer Greyhounds – the cattle of Lithuania, that restricted ranges & perhaps few numbers fertile to size - hence small continents wd probably have small species. - Opposed to what has probably happened in S. America.

p. 406 "The Braemar deer are allowed to be quite different from those of the Atholl forest; they stand higher & are in general of a greater weight."

p. 412 Forest of Corrichibar, the number of deer in 1820 was very small, now probably more than 100 head; No sooner, however was this cleared of sheep (this was when I saw the [illeg] ), the deer increased rapidly & now 1839 there cannot be less than 1500.

p. 414 The stags of this forest are large "their heads likewise are large in proportion, being of a much more vigorous growth than those of the Atholl or near forests."

(These are cases of not strict selection) though accidentally [struck through]

[in margin:] (Scrope appears excellent authority)

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p. 14 In Greece rutting season commenced in beginning of August & in Scotland, end of September & beginning of October – "a sudden pinch of cold brings on the period"

p. 15 at this time the Harts feeds chiefly on white moss like a rein-deer. The Harts fight tremendously & have several times been found (p. 17) locked by their horns together & dead.

(2)

p. 19 A fawn which has never once followed its mother will follow a man, if you put finger in its mouth.

p. 20 Deer always run up the wind, & so strongly implanted in this instinct, that if you catch a fawn ever so young, & with it down wind, it will immediately face round. Instinct.

p. 23 says it is false, certainly so, that the herd expel a wounded animal, on contrary licks its wounds, but according to Mr Jesse in Richmond Park, when single deer are singled out to be hunted, the herd will not permit him to join them & drive him away. They have learnt that when this one runs

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run the hounds & horses will come "thus a sense of self-preservation makes the herd turn upon him & deliver him up to his pursuer" [p. 24, not 23]

So may it be with will wolves hunting cattle & have the meaning of this instinct. In the highlands where country open & undisturbed the deer are not regularly hunted but shot so they have not found out the danger of sheltering (and they always permit) a wounded one.

Scropes says that in the battles of the Harts, these old ones get the forest Hinds first, & in about a week, they retire

p. 15 & then the younger ones come in so that affected [illeg] that the most vigorous males wd have most offspring. Th weaker might have some. He remarks how good a possession this is against degeneracy & quotes p. 212 detur fortiori

[Scrope adds at this point on p. 212: "an admirable provision of nature for keeping the stock from degenerating."]

p. 19 Some hinds do not appear to breed any year.

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Scropes Art of Deer Stalking

p. 311 all accounts show that the Scotch or Irish Greyhound has become very scarce.

p. 313 in a real ancient tradition, before Macpherson's time of Fingal old verses describing the points of the best greyhounds.

p. 315 the best dog for hunting Red Deer now is a cross of greyhound & foxhound – you get speed & just nose enough. & plants of courage & they run minute & they will run by eye or by nose. – They resemble greyhounds, but largely in bone & shorter in the leg. p. 316 Some when running slow, carry their tails over their backs. You must keep on making original crosses for if not, you will be surrounded by "such alarming masters" – a cross between greyhound & bull dog was tried in Atholl forest but they produce just two slow & had so much courage "that they were all killed by attacking the deer in forest"

p. 319 The dogs love of the sport is independent of eating, as seen with pointers, hence better not too often blend them with the deer.

("Communication from A. Macneil Esq of Colonsay)

p. 341 Dogs resembling greyhounds were known in 3d century - 2.  at that time known in England

p. 343 There is sculpture of greyhound in Scotland, as early as 9th century

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p. 350 – dogs of Epirus used for deer-coursing are similar to (as Buffon said) those not used here; they are used in Epirus now exceedingly rare & only in possession of the nobility.

The size to which the greyhound once attained in Scotland not passed on now to kinds.

The Irish wolf-dogs, described by Mr Lambert of Ld Altamount certainly not same as those greyhounds probably no Irish Blood Hounds.

In Ireland & England just a vestige now left of Irish Greyhound - in Scotland not above a dozen. Pure bred ones left attributes their descendent to the attained state of country & less [want] of them; & the present ones probably (arising from elimination of number & replaced in crossing, selection & feeing")  (N.B. Hence very few of a kind not favourable for selection in natural state.)

p. 352 Much degenerated in size

p. 353 all the existing few deer-hounds are related to each other, but only in colour, but all agree in tip of ears, eyes & muzzle being black & each with white body uniformly coloured, which is never failing accompaniment of purity of breed

[in margin:] All this from Macneil