Richard Lydekker

“ In summer the main food-supply of the Pilawin elk apparently consists of the leaves of deciduous trees, especially aspen; but in winter this is replaced by the young shoots and twigs of birch, to obtain which the elk are constantly breaking down young saplings. The natural food-supply of the preserve is, however, largely augmented by patches of oats, buckwheat, lupin, potatoes, and Jerusalem artichokes, which are sown or planted in the clearings of the forest wherever the soil is suitable. ”

“ Here it may be mentioned that, a short time subsequent to our visit, the stags in the preserve, as I am informed by Count Potocki,60 became on a sudden unusually ferocious, attacking everything and everybody within reach. The head-keeper, Adam, was badly gored by the big wapiti, but happily recovered. Soon afterwards the same stag attacked and killed the only bull American bison, this being, of course, a great loss, as it will be difficult61 to find another mate for the one cow by which alone the species is for the moment represented in the preserve. ”

“ In some cases, however, the forest assumes a more or less completely mixed character. It is this varied type of forest, intercalated with open clearings and stretches of marsh and lake, that renders the enclosed area so admirably adapted for the home of deer of various kinds collected from many parts of Northern Europe and Asia, and whose habits consequently display considerable diversity.
Many of the firs in the forest are of gigantic dimensions, one in particular measuring no less than twelve feet in girth at a man’s height from the ground. ”

“ Before leaving the subject of elk, reference may be made to a point in connection with the conformation of their antlers which struck me as the result of an examination of a large series of immature specimens in the Pilawin shooting-lodge.
83 It has long been recognised that the antlers of elk belong to what is known as the forked type, which occurs typically in such species as the roebuck, Père David’s deer, and the American white-tailed and mule deer. ”

“ My German (so far as conversation is concerned) is but limited, while of Polish my knowledge is nil. And yet, despite these drawbacks, I was able to acquire from the director and the foresters a good knowledge of the denizens of the forest by means of their scientific names. If, however, I had known the white stork only by its modern designation of Ciconia ciconia, instead of by its old-fashioned title of Ciconia alba (and so in other cases) , a great deal of such conversation would have been impossible. ”

“ In Pilawin, on the other hand, both elk and wapiti flourish remarkably well; and it is confidently anticipated that in the course of three or four years, when the number of stags of each species will have become too great, that elk-hunting and wapiti-shooting will be recognised sports in the preserve. ”

“ Both the Persian and Caucasian red deer (maral) do exceedingly well in the Pilawin preserve, where they will doubtless before long form a big herd. At Antoniny the Count keeps, for hunting purposes, a small number of the so-called Polish deer from the Imperial preserves of Spala, in Poland, which, to my great regret, I had no opportunity of seeing. ”

“ The next sight was an elk hind with two calves, browsing among thick aspen-forest; the group being almost invisible at a comparatively short distance. All three animals were in splendid condition; and the mere fact69 of the production of twins by this hind affords convincing testimony as to the well-being of the elks in the Pilawin preserve. That they should thus flourish is, however, only what might naturally be expected, seeing that they are living under absolutely natural conditions in the original haunts of the species. ”

“ Whether they will cross with the European species remains to be seen.
75 Of the Yenisei wapiti (of which more anon) it has already been mentioned that we saw two hinds during our first day’s tour. A day later I had the good fortune to come across the stag feeding in the open; but as it was getting dusk, it was difficult to observe his characteristics accurately. Indeed, it is by no means an easy matter to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to the specific or sub-specific characters of nearly allied deer when only single specimens are seen by themselves in the open. ”

“ Although the species is protected in Sclavonia, in this country there is nothing to prevent any one from shooting a stork. The bird is, however, considered to be semi-sacred by the natives; the popular belief being that if a stork is shot, its mate will come and set fire to the house of the destroyer.
Black storks are very scarce, and the appearance of one during our visit was therefore50 an unusual event. They depart later than the white species.
ELK IN WINTER.
Capercaillie occur in considerable numbers, both in the preserve of Pilawin and the neighbouring forests. ”

“ That elk and other large species of wild deer require a very extensive area in order not to deteriorate seems to be undoubted. The owner of Pilawin considers, indeed, that the number of head of these animals should be limited to one to every ten acres; while he is81 also of opinion that the maximum number of true deer in the preserve should not exceed three hundred head, and that the elk herd should be limited to one hundred. ”

“ At 5.10 A.M. on Thursday (only ten minutes behind our scheduled time) we reached Schepetowka station, where we found an open carriage, drawn by four horses abreast, in waiting; and in five minutes we were on our way to Antoniny, the country8 seat of the Count and Countess Potocki. Small strongly-built phaetons with varnished wood-work are used for travelling. They are built at Vienna, and can be driven either with a four-in-hand or four abreast. A four-horse team is always kept ready at each changing-station. When travelling at night a smaller vehicle goes in front with torches. ”

“ Returning to the Pilawin deer, the next to be noticed are the American wapiti, which are86 flourishing fully as well as the elk; the number of fawns born during the year being nine.
Another feature indicating the satisfactory condition of the herd is the large size of the antlers grown by the big stags, of which there are now three; all being imported animals. Of the antlers shed by the two best stags of their year in 1907, the length along the outer curve is in one case forty-four and in the other forty-one inches ”

“ Sheep, goats, and saigas would assuredly not do; but, despite the fact of their being mountain species, thar, serow, and takin (at present not procurable) might be worth a trial, as they are chiefly inhabitants of forests.
EUROPEAN BISON IN A FOREST RIDE.
The splendid condition in which the preserve is kept, and the large amount of work already accomplished in the matter of road-making and drainage, afford abundant testimony to the energy and capacity of Mr. Sokalski, the director. ”

“ WAPITI IN AUTUMN.
As the climate in winter is extremely severe, it is obvious that only hardy species can be expected to thrive; and it is the main object of the owner that the representatives of these should appear as if they were living in a really43
45 wild state. To what extent he has succeeded in this, will be apparent in the sequel. When the Pilawin park was first enclosed, the only large game in the forest were roedeer, of which a certain number were included within the ring-fence. These have now increased and multiplied to such an extent that roebuck-shooting is permitted in Pilawin ”

“ I also noticed on the forehead, a short distance above the budding antlers, a pair of whorls in the hair, which are not generally mentioned in descriptions of the species, and may likewise be glandular in function.
The length of limb distinctive of elk generally is especially noticeable in immature animals. Compared with other deer, elk at this age may indeed be likened to storks among birds ”

“ The huge size55 of the ant-hills, many of which are over a yard in height, is another feature of the forests which cannot fail to strike the observer fresh from England. The one drawback to existence—and it is a great one—in this forest-paradise is the abundance of mosquitoes, which make their presence known in the usual objectionable manner. ”

“ Compared with the American and the other Asiatic wapiti in Pilawin, these Yenisei deer are darker-coloured in summer; this darkness being specially noticeable in immature hinds, which look almost slate-coloured in summer. The director of the park tells me that another difference is to be found in the more upward extension of the black borders of the light rump-patch, which, in fact, unite anteriorly to89 form a dorsal stripe. ”

“ As labourers are constantly employed in the preserve during the winter months in draining, timber-felling, and road-making, while carriages traverse the network of roads when visitors are staying at59 the lodge (to say nothing of those constantly used by the park director) , the animals are, however, well accustomed to the presence of human beings, and can consequently be approached to within comparatively short distances. ”

“ The first-class sleeping compartments are comfortable and convenient; the cuisine is excellent; and the attendants are civil, attentive, and expert at interpreting the wants of those passengers to whom Russian and Polish are unknown tongues. Punctuality is, however, a virtue which on some occasions might be more cultivated. ”

“ The contour of the country takes the form of a series of low undulating and more or less nearly parallel ridges or hills, separated by wide valleys, and running to a considerable extent at right angles to the main direction of the road. ”

“ Elk occur, however, in the forests about forty miles to the northwards, and an occasional straggler from these may make its appearance near the preserve in spring.
WOLF KILLED NEAR ANTONINY IN 1907.
Wolves, too, either singly or in small parties, may be in evidence during winter; but lynxes were exterminated many years ago; while bears, as already mentioned, have been47 unknown for at least a century and a half; and red deer, to say nothing of bison, disappeared at a much earlier date. The last beaver known to inhabit the Pilawin district was killed in 1904 ”

“ Nearly all of these men are acquainted with the scientific names of the106 commoner animals and plants to be met with in the forest; and they know all the berries and funguses which are good for food, as well as those to be shunned. ”

“ A word of commendation may likewise be bestowed on the relatively high degree of education of the foresters, who display a knowledge of zoology and botany conspicuous by its absence among most English game-keepers. ”

“ Despite this (and the bad state of the track, as well as the condition of several of the wooden bridges, would have well-nigh broken the heart of an9 English coachman) , with only a single change of horses, the journey of some fifty kilometres was safely accomplished in a little over four hours ”