CHAPTER IX. THE MAMMALS OF THE MOUNTAINS AND MOORS. Relations between Alpine Plants and Animals-The Red Deer— Its former abundance-Its stages of development-Professor Bell on Life-history of Red Deer-The Roebuck-The Alpine Hare-Manner of changing its colour of fur-The Wild Cat -Difference between wild and domestic cats-The Pine Marten and Beech Marten--Common Marten-Food and Habits of the Marten- -The Ermine Weasel-Pole-catThe Otter, Badger, Rabbit, &c.-The Irish Hare-The Fox -Probable extinction of Wild Cat and Pine Marten-Extinction of Bear and Wolf in the Highlands. A FEW mammals, and a larger and more varied assortment of birds, as well as insects of several orders, find in the solitudes of our hills the protection and immunity they are denied in the plains. Many of the insects are attracted here, and induced to make these elevated regions their permanent restingplace because of the Alpine and sub-Alpine flowers and grasses. Some of the birds follow these insects and prey upon them, whilst not a few kinds live wholly on the seeds and berries of upland plants. Our mountain mammals are now very few in number, except where they are protected for purposes of "sport." There can be little doubt they were formerly much more abundant, for many kinds have been all but decimated, in order to render that "sport" more effective. Man denies the right to kill to any other animal. ively, nor on such an extensive scale, as himself! A reference to the mammalia inhabiting our mountain strongholds unconsciously brings up to our minds the Red Deer of the Highlands (Cervus elaphus). Time was when this noble animal was not confined to the few habitats or "deer forests" where, by the grace of mankind, it still runs wild. The references to it in those ancient ballads which chronicled the doings of Robin Hood and his merry men, as well as the existence of the “Forest Laws," shows how much more abundant it must have been in the wild state a few hundreds of years ago. The number of antlers and skulls of the Red Deer found in peat formations also plainly prove their pre-historic abundance and former extensive distribution. In the Middle Ages, the "noble science of venerie" made the deer a most important animal. Terms even more rigid than those employed in modern scientific nomenclature were invented, to betoken the different ages and stages of both sexes of deer. The young were all termed calves. In the first stage of development the young male or stag was called a "knobber"; in the second year it had been advanced to a "brocket"; in the third year it had become a "spayad"; in the fourth a "staggard"; and it was not until it had reached its fifth year that it was correct to term it a "stag." Even then the hunter's nomenclature had not ceased, for afterwards, when the stag developed its hind antler, it had arrived at the dignity of "royal"; when it had acquired its sixth antler it was a "sur-royal." Similarly, the female deer, from its young state up to its adult, was known by various terms, intended to be expressive of the several changes. Prof. Bell, in his "History of British Quadrupeds," gives the following summary of the life-history of the Red Deer:-"The pairing sea son is in August, and it continues about three weeks. During this period the harts are in a state of extreme excitement, and fight furiously when two of the same age and similar strength happen to meet. The hind goes with young eight months and a few days, and seldom produces more than one calf. The hinds then retire from the herd to bring forth, and continue to attend their young with the greatest assiduity and tenderness; these remain with their dams during the summer, and in the winter the whole herd becomes completely gregarious. About February the males lose their horns, and they begin to be renewed shortly afterwards. At this period, and for some time subsequently, they retire from the herd and remain apart." As we have said, the only places where the British Red Deer is still in a wild state is in the Highlands of Scotland. The mountains which rise from the elevated wild plateau of Rannock Moor, up to which the celebrated Pass of Glencoe leads, are their favourite haunts. This is the late Sir Edwin Landseer's "sketching country," and most of the wild scenes, in which he portrayed the Red Deer, were studied in this neighbourhood. Black Mountain is, perhaps, the best part of this "deer forest," which belongs to the Marquis of Breadalbane. We have seen the deer, male and female, come out at even-tide, just in the gloaming, and have beheld a herd standing out on the top of the hills, clear and sharply cut against the grey sky. In the late summer and autumn, when the bracken fern is turning yellow, it is difficult to follow a herd as it courses along the flanks of some hill, even with a field-glass, on account of the resemblance between the general colour of their bodies and that of the ground on which our vision projects them. It would appear, therefore, that the colours of the bodies of these much-hunted animals may be more or less protective. Nowhere in English literature will the reader find such capital descriptions of the habits and economy of the Red Deer as in the late Mr. St. John's "Wild Sports and Natural History of the Highlands." We are there introduced, in language worthy of Gilbert White, to the stag and his hinds, as they appear at home amid the rock-fastnesses of the Scottish hills and mountains. One of the most interesting details concerning the stag is the growth of its antlers. As most people are |