escape altogether. If struck too far back, a deer may sometimes run for half a day, and the wound has even been known to heal up, but is more likely to prove fatal the next day. When a deer is discovered lying down, in such a situation that he might dip out of sight the moment he rises, and only his horns are visible, the sportsman should advance with extreme caution until the deer hears him, when he will most likely slowly raise and turn his head before springing up. Now is the time to shoot

him between the eye and the ear.

The most propitious day for deer-stalking is a cloudy one with blinks of sunshine: exactly such as you would choose for fishing. When the sky is cloudless, and the sun very dazzling, the herd are apt to see you at a great distance, and take alarm. High and changing wind is always very bad, as it keeps them moving about in a wild and uneasy state. In such weather it is better, if possible, to wait till it settles a little, and take advantage of the first calm. If the breeze be light, they will not move much, but a strong steady wind lasting for some days will always make the deer change their ground, by facing it often for miles. Mist is the worst of all, as the deer are pretty sure to see you before you see them. Always advance on deer from above, as they are much less apt to look up than down a hill. If possible, have the sun at your back, and in their face. With this advantage you may even venture to approach them from below. (Birds, on the contrary, always look up, and it is best to stalk them from lower ground.) If it is a quiet shot, and the sun is at your back,

wait for a clear blink* before making your near approach. Of course every one knows that it is out of the question, under any circumstances, to attempt advancing on deer unless the wind be favourable; so all other directions are subject to this.

In correis and hollows it is quite impossible to know how the wind will blow upon a particular point, unless you have marked every change of wind upon every point of the correi.

In high wind, deer are always difficult to drive. Should they make a pause, they will in all likelihood turn in the face of a hundred men, and not suffer themselves to be driven further. As the wind becomes stronger the higher you ascend, the deer on the tops of the hills are most difficult to drive. The lowest ground is always the best for driving on a windy day.

In south and west wind, the deer are far more easily stalked, as the colder and sharper north and east keeps them always moving and beating against it. When fired at, they will go double the distance with an east or north wind.

Deer will go far more readily to the high passes in the morning, and to the low passes in the evening; so this ought always to be attended to.

Never stalk between two herds, if it can be helped; it is always considered bad stalking.

Ox-deer, or "heaviers," as the foresters call them, (most likely a corruption from the French hiver,) are wilder than either hart or hind. They often take post

* Before fishing a sure salmon-cast, do just the reverse. If possible, wait for an obscuring cloud.

upon a height that gives a look-out all round, which makes them very difficult to stalk. Although not so good when December is past, still they are in season all the winter; hence their French designation. Yeld-hinds are also fit for the table till the end of January. The latter are easily distinguished by an experienced forester from their light colour. The ears of the "heaviers" are always cropped, that they may at once be known from the hinds. This deformity makes their hornless heads look perfectly hideous. When stags grow very old, their horns go back, just like a tree going to decay. Sometimes a stag, neither a rig nor a heavier, is hornless, and even "takes the rut."

The best time for a quiet stalking shot is either early in the morning or late in the evening, as the deer are not so much on the alert, and are busy feeding. It is at these times also that they are apt to come down from the high to the low ground.

Some forests are so crowded with hinds and calves that stalking between deer is often unavoidable: this is the most difficult of all stalks. You have to keep a look-out upon the deer on each side, as well as those in the middle, which you are advancing on. Should those on either side catch sight of the sportsman, or get his wind, he may still have his shot, if there is any cover in front, by running forward under shelter of it. Sometimes when the deer on both sides have taken the alarm, even should the ground be bare, those in the middle will stand staring, trying to discover what had frightened the others. Under these circumstances, whenever the sportsman sees the deer on either

side begin to move, his only chance of a shot is to run on ; and perhaps the attention of the centre ones may be so fixed on their companions as to allow him to get within range. When the wind is fair, the best plan is to have good patience until the deer feed up, without attempting to stalk between them. When you have a side wind, however, it is very difficult to manage, especially with a train of men and dogs, to all of whom the stalker must give his signal at once, perhaps with only twenty yards of ground to come and go upon.

The knees

Should you

When stalking a herd, or between deer, down hill, the best way is to slide upon the back, with your feet foremost. This can be done by leaning upon the elbows, and using the heels of the shoes to draw on the body. will thus be prevented from rising too high. attempt to crawl down head foremost, the back will often be two feet higher than the head, and the stalker never be aware of it. In sliding down the hill, both stalker and sportsman must have their eye upon the deer; and, if they raise their heads, must keep the exact position they were in when the deer looked up. It is very bad generalship, either with deer or wild-fowl, to clap down quickly, as they at once see this manœuvre. Instead of doing so, remain steady as a rock, until the deer begin to feed again, or look in a different direction. Should they suspect you, and thus render it necessary to move out of sight, withdraw yourself inch by inch, so as to prevent their seeing the least motion. In stalking up hill, you must crawl sometimes upon hand and knee, occasionally flat upon

your face when the deer come more prominently into view. As they always look down hill, greater caution is required than when stalking from above. Should two good stalkers be noticed by deer, one ought always to remain where they were first perceived, the other advancing alone. If the deer are in sight, and not far off, a knowing forester often restrains the eagerness of the novice, by telling him to "coont the grass as they go along; " that is, to count the deer as they raise their heads for a moment when feeding up. This, by ensuring a very slow advance, doubles the chances of their escaping the notice of the deer, and keeps the young stalker more cool. The forester all the time has his eye on the leading deer. your hart, raise the rifle most leisurely to the shoulder. If brought up in a hurry, or in the same way that a quick shot takes aim with his fowling-piece, you are almost certain to miss.

When selecting

A good forester generally becomes very nervous in the long run, from the bungling of some gentlemen, and the ill-temper of others, together with his constant anxiety to procure them fair chances.

The quick sight of a skilful forester in first discovering deer will appear miraculous to a stranger to the sport, and, unless quite bewildered, he cannot fail to admire the generalship which follows. The whole ground is as perfectly known to his guide as his own pleasure-grounds to himself. Every hollow, every knoll, is taken advantage of; every shifting turn of the wind, up the one or round the other, is surely predicted, until, to his own utter