Part 2

Constructed entirely of wood, and erected by the local workmen under the superintendence of Mr. Sokalski, an Austrian Pole, who occupies the post of director of the preserve, the Pilawin shooting-lodge is a spacious two-storeyed building capable of affording excellent accommodation for three or four guests, and likewise containing the director’s offices and the dwelling-rooms of the head forester. The exterior is covered with large sheets of birch-bark, thus giving to the building the appearance at a distance of being constructed of blocks of white stone.

The main apartment, on the first floor, which serves both as dining-room and smoking-room, is adorned with a number of sporting and natural history trophies, including numerous elk, wapiti, and other antlers, together with stuffed specimens of the white-tailed eagle (_Haliaëtus albicilla_), the spotted eagle (_Aquila heliaca_), capercaillie (_Tetrao urogallus_), and the rare black stork (_Ciconia nigra_).

I was specially interested in an imperfect antler dug up some years ago in the neighbourhood, which the owner had been unable to identify. It is, however, clearly a reindeer antler, although different from any specimen that has hitherto come under my notice. I think it may indicate an extinct local race of the species, although I may be able to write more definitely on this point when a cast (which the owner will endeavour to have prepared) reaches the British Museum. From a distributional point of view this antler is of considerable interest, as it serves to connect the present habitat of the reindeer with Hungary, where fossil antlers also occur. Till recently reindeer remains were unknown to the southward of the Alps and Carpathians; but at a depth of two mètres in a sand-bed beneath brick-earth at Ober-Laibach, in Krain, there has been found a portion of an antler of this species, now preserved in the museum at Laibach. This specimen is of the age of the so-called diluvium. Since in Bavaria and North Germany remains of the reindeer are abundant in deposits of the polished stone (Neolithic) age, while they are absent in the refuse-heaps of the Swiss pile-villages, the inference is that the species had become extinct in the Alps by the time of the diluvial epoch.

Another broken antler in the apartment dates back to the time--at least four centuries ago--when wild red deer still inhabited the surrounding forests.

The finest pair of elk-antlers in the apartment possesses a special and distinctly pathetic interest of its own. These antlers, I was informed by the Count, belonged to an elk which two seasons ago attacked and killed an unfortunate peasant on the estate. As the triumphant elk was departing from the scene of the murder, it was immediately attacked by a pugnacious wapiti with such vigour and determination, that after a short but severe encounter the death of the peasant was summarily avenged.

A few words may be here conveniently devoted to the vegetation of these magnificent forests, which it is the object of their owner to preserve as much as possible in their original condition. In fact, the only changes that have been made are the construction of carriage roads (with a total length of about one hundred kilometres), the clearing away of fallen and half-fallen timber, the removal of superfluous under-covert, the draining of some of the swamps, and the construction of artificial lakes and of open spaces in the forest where abundant provender can be grown for the deer and bison.

The forest consists mainly of Scotch fir, oak (of two kinds), birch, and aspen. Generally the pines and deciduous trees grow upon different tracts, while even the oak, birch, and aspen severally display a marked tendency to occupy separate areas of their own. 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.

One peculiarity of the Pilawin forest--shared by no other in the district--is the presence of numerous luxuriant patches of the Crimean azalea (_Azalea pontica_), a species whose nearest natural habitat is the Crimea. According to local tradition, it was introduced from there to Pilawin by Tatars about two centuries ago; the seed having been conveyed in the nose-bags of their horses. The yellow blossoms of this fine azalea impart an unwonted brilliance to large patches of the Pilawin forest in spring. At the time of my visit there was an abundance of edible berries of the cranberry and bilberry type.

As Pilawin has only been enclosed for about four years, it may be regarded as still in the experimental stage; but so far as it has at present gone, the experiment promises to be a distinct success.

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 really 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; and, indeed, is almost necessary in order to keep the number of these deer within proper limits. In connection with these roebuck it may be mentioned that during the unusually severe winter of 1906-1907 a considerable number of them succumbed to the effects of the cold, whereas not a single death occurred among the introduced species.

With the exception of the wild boars referred to above as inhabiting the pine-forests near Schepetowka, roebuck are the only big game now to be met with in the district immediately around Pilawin. 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.

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 been 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; but these rodents are still not uncommon some fifty miles to the northward, and subsequently to our visit (in December) the species was reintroduced into the preserve, where a portion of one of the lakes has been enclosed for its reception. Two specimens--a young and an old male--were trapped about fifty miles north of the park; and on arrival the old one was turned out in the enclosure, where it proceeded to make itself at home, constructing a lodge and gnawing timber. Some time later the young one was introduced, but the old one chased it away, and eventually bit and drowned the unfortunate creature. Badgers are still numerous in certain parts of Pilawin, where they have some huge “earths,” while a few otters remain, and martens and polecats abound.

A few hares are to be met with in the open country; but rabbits are unknown in the district, the ground being for the most part too moist and low-lying to suit their habits, although they occur some miles away.

As regards birds, a flock of some thirty bustards (_Otis tarda_) was reported not far from Antoniny about the time of our arrival; and the species is still fairly common in this part of Volhynia. Cranes and white storks are common in summer, but both species were on the eve of departure at the time of our visit. In some of the villages situated near swamps, almost every house has at least one stork’s nest on its roof; the total number of nests in a colony of this sort ranging from fifty to one hundred. 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 therefore an unusual event. They depart later than the white species.

Capercaillie occur in considerable numbers, both in the preserve of Pilawin and the neighbouring forests. They are shot in spring during the calling season. At one of the Count’s shooting-lodges in the neighbourhood, where a metal plate is fixed to the walls to commemorate the shooting of each capercaillie, the number of such plates exceeds ninety; and in the house at Pilawin is exhibited a photograph of five cocks shot in a single day. Black game (_Tetrao tetrix_), as well as hazel-grouse (_Tetrastes bonasia_), are likewise more or less abundant in the coverts. Partridges and quail breed in the corn-fields, although in no great numbers; the partridge being the common grey species. Duck of three or four kinds, as well as a few snipe, breed in the marshes; but there appears to be no winter influx of either ducks or geese. Hazel-grouse are shot by beating the forest, when the birds alight momentarily on the branches of the firs or oaks, where they offer fair marks.

The sight of a sea-eagle sailing majestically over the forest glades is comparatively common; while spotted eagles may from time to time be observed, and harrier-eagles (_Circaëtus gallicus_) are abundant. Eagle-owls (_Bubo ignavus_) haunt the pine-forests at all times of the year; and in spring a certain number of snowy owls (_Nyctea scandiaca_) make their appearance from the north. A semi-Indian character is communicated to the bird-fauna by the number of blue rollers (_Coracias garrulus_), locally known as Polish parrots, which may be seen in the open country; while lovely blue-throats (_Cyanecula suecica_) likewise form objects of special interest to the ornithologist from England. Of other birds it will suffice to mention that wheatears, red and grey shrikes, magpies, and wagtails are most in evidence in the open, while jays, green and pied woodpeckers (lesser and great), and nuthatches abound in the forest.

The most interesting feature in the reptilian life of the country is the occurrence of a number of European water-tortoises (_Emys orbicularis_) in the forest lakes and ponds. One of these we brought home, where it is now flourishing in a green-house. Reference may also be made to the hosts of green tree-frogs (_Hyla arborea_), whose loud croakings are frequently the only sounds to break the impressive mid-day stillness of the forest. When we first heard the croaking, we mistook it for the note of a bird. The huge size 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.

After these general observations the attention of the reader may be specially directed to the foreign big-game animals which form the great feature of the park. These include European and American bison, elk, Persian and Caucasian red deer, American wapiti (_Cervus canadensis_), Altai or Sayansk wapiti (_Cervus canadensis asiaticus_),[2] a very dark-coloured wapiti from the Yenisei valley, the Pekin or Dybowski’s deer (_Cervus hortulorum_), and the Siberian roebuck (_Capreolus pygargus_). The great charm connected with the bison and deer in the Pilawin preserve is that they are living in what is practically a wild state, and in order to be seen have in many cases to be regularly “stalked,” although not unfrequently the tourist may come upon them more or less unexpectedly. The extent of the park is, indeed, so great that there is probably nothing to suggest to its denizens that they are living in an enclosed area; and the diversity in the nature of the forest, together with the presence of numerous large clearings (either natural or artificial), enables them to select and inhabit the kind of country best suited to their needs. In consequence of this freedom and choice of “station,” each species or individual takes possession of a kind of territory of its own; the elk skulking singly amid the thick foliage of the deciduous forests, while the bison prefer the open clearings, with the adjacent covert for retirement, and the wapiti favour the pine-forest. Roebuck, on the other hand, are to be met with, either singly or in pairs, in almost all parts of the forest. 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 at 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. Nevertheless they are not too tame; retaining, in fact, all the characteristic traits and habits of really wild creatures. In the late summer and early autumn, when the wapiti stags are calling (as was the case at the time of our visit), it is, of course, necessary to exercise considerable care and caution in approaching them, and it is well for visitors to be at all times accompanied by one of the foresters or keepers in the parts most frequented by the animals.

[2] This identification is provisional, as it is exceedingly difficult to recognise the various races of Asiatic wapiti when seen at a distance. For the names and characteristics of these races the reader may consult an article in the _Field_ newspaper for January 1908.

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, 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 difficult to find another mate for the one cow by which alone the species is for the moment represented in the preserve.

Perhaps the best way of conveying to the reader an idea of the manner in which the animals are encountered will be by recording the results of our first day’s walk and drive through the park.

After walking a mile or so from the house, the first animal encountered was a fine wapiti stag quietly reposing in one of the large clearings, which allowed us to approach within a couple of hundred yards; soon after, we came across another wapiti stag, accompanied by two hinds of his own species and a couple of Persian red deer hinds. Some little distance farther and we encountered a considerable herd of wapiti, a Persian red deer hind, an Altai wapiti hind, and two hinds of the dark-coloured Yenisei wapiti. A couple of roebuck were next seen darting and leaping through the under-covert, and it was noticed that although one was in the red summer coat, with no white rump-patch, the other wore the olive winter dress, with a conspicuous white blaze. It seems difficult to account for this difference, unless it be that fawns of the year assume the winter dress very early or develop it at once. This is a point in regard to which definite information from sportsmen would be of great value and interest to naturalists.

The next animal seen was a three-year-old bull elk lazily browsing the foliage of the aspens among which it stood, and where indeed it was almost invisible except to the practised eyes of the forester. This elk was recently brought from the estate of Prince S. Radziwill (brother-in-law of the Count) in Lithuania; and since it had experienced a long journey and had been turned out only a few months previous to our visit, it was comparatively tame, so that we were actually able to watch the curious movements of its flabby muzzle as the creature browsed.

To resume the chronicle of our day’s excursion, the next animals seen were three beautiful Dybowski bucks, feeding in swampy pasture by the side of an aspen-forest. The oldest and largest of this handsome trio was purchased from a dealer, but the other two were bred in the forest, and are certainly splendid specimens of their kind. The old buck had his antlers clean, and was already assuming the uniform dark brown winter coat. In the younger bucks, on the other hand, the antlers were still in the bright red “velvet” so characteristic of all the deer of the sika group, and the rufous, white-spotted coat was shown in its full summer beauty. The group formed a lovely picture, the sight of which was alone almost a sufficient reward for the fatigue of the journey from England. We were, moreover, particularly fortunate in coming upon these deer on this occasion, as we never saw them again during the whole course of our sojourn in the park.

According to Count Potocki’s observations, the stags of this species are peculiar in that they utter no call--or, at all events, no loud one--during the breeding season. It would be interesting to ascertain if this accords with the experience of observers elsewhere, and whether this silence is characteristic of all the deer of the sika group.

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 fact 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.

The final scene in this memorable day’s excursion was perhaps the finest and most interesting of all. Amid a large open clearing, surrounded by tall pine and birch forest, stood a noble group of four European and two American bison, all quietly feeding on the luxuriant pasture. The whole six animals looked in splendid condition; and the group also served to emphasise the marked superiority in point of shape and general appearance of the European over the American species. The much darker colour and the more heavily haired fore-legs of the latter, as contrasted with the former, formed very noticeable features.

The four European bison--the _zubr_ (pronounced _zoobre_) of the Poles and Russians--comprised a bull and two cows presented by H.I.M. the Czar to the owner of Pilawin, and a yearling calf born in the preserve. Another calf was born this year, but unfortunately died soon after birth. The bull and cow came from the imperial Bielowicz preserve in the province of Lithuania, and there is every hope that in course of time they may give rise in Pilawin to a herd equalling that of the Duke of Pless in Silesia.

It had originally been our intention to pay a visit to Bielowicz in order to see the famous bison herd, and permission to do so had been graciously accorded by H.I.M. the Czar, but the long distance and difficulties connected with the language-question reluctantly induced me to abandon the intention.

Here it may not be out of place to mention that the name “aurochs,” so generally applied to the European bison (_Bos bonassus_), is a complete misnomer; that term really denoting the extinct wild ox (_Bos taurus primigenius_), which lingered longest in Poland. On the extinction of the latter species the name became transferred by the Teutonic nations to the bison, which in its own country is, however, universally known as the zubr.

By ascending a high wooden stage erected between some tall firs, we were enabled to obtain an excellent view of the bison on the plain below. The bull displayed some signs of uneasiness by staring fixedly at our party and lashing his tail furiously from side to side; and it was therefore deemed inadvisable to approach him too closely on foot. On a second occasion we enjoyed the opportunity of seeing this magnificent beast enjoy a good roll in the sand, when it was observed that, owing to the height of his hump, he was unable to turn completely over, and had to content himself with half-rolls.

The animal most difficult to come across in the park is the Siberian roebuck; but we were luckily enabled to obtain one glimpse of a fine old buck quietly feeding in thick covert, although he was unfortunately frightened away by a fox-terrier before we could get a full view. The one glimpse was, however, sufficient to show that the summer coat of this species is lighter-coloured than that of the European roebuck, being yellowish fawn in place of rufous. Whether, however, the white rump-patch is developed at this season I was unable to see. Unfortunately, the majority of the Siberian roedeer in the park are bucks. Whether they will cross with the European species remains to be seen.

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.

Several years ago repeated attempts were made by the Duke of Bedford to acclimatise elk in the park at Woburn; but the experiment proved a total failure; the animals dying off one after another, till it was finally decided to abandon the attempt to establish the species as a denizen of the domain. Much the same thing occurred in the case of the American wapiti; the herd of which was, however, kept in an extensive paddock instead of in the open park. In this instance it was likewise decided to be useless, at all events for the present, to attempt to maintain the herd.

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.