I I 6 MAMMALIA. 



the summer garb, the hairs are short, fine, and soft; but they 

 rapidly grow in length and diameter, and undergo the changes of 

 color peculiar to the species. At first they lie down smoothly, but 

 presently the diameter becomes so great, that they force each other 

 up to a more vertical position, or at right angles to the skin. As 

 the diameters increase, the cavities within enlarge and become filled 



3 



with a very light pith, and they become brittle and lose their elas- 

 ticity, so that the integrity of the walls is destroyed when sharply 

 bent, and they remain in the given position. "* 



The exact period of shedding and of renewal of the coat varies 

 somewhat from year to year; and it does not always take place at the 

 same time in all the Deer of the region, during the same season. It 

 evidently depends in great measure, if not wholly, upon the condition 

 of the animal at the time of the moult, and this is determined mainly 

 by the way the Deer wintered. After severe winters many are poor 

 and ill conditioned, and they do not put on the red coat till late in 

 June, or even till the first of July, the bine being correspondingly 

 delayed. It, on the other hand, the winter has been a mild one, and 

 the supply of beech-nuts large, the Deer have probably wintered well, 

 and come out fat and healthy in the spring. In this case they shed 

 the old gray coats early, and the red may be seen covering a large 

 part of the animal by the middle of June, or even earlier. These 

 Deer assume the blue coat very early, and the change may be well 

 advanced by the last of August. 



Deer rut in November, the season commonly extending from the 

 latter part of October till the first week in December. As this period 

 approaches, the necks of the bucks become enormously enlarged, f 

 and their whole demeanor is changed. Instead of treading cautious 

 ly through the forest they now rush wildy about, tracking the does 



* Antelope and Deer of America, pp. 126-127. 



f As early as the last week in October I measured the neck of a buck that was 30 inches (762mm) 

 in circumference, only ten inches behind the ears. The maximum development is attained about 

 the middle of November. 



