75 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



ACCIDENTAL VARIATION. 



To the Editor of the Popular Science Monthly. 



The following figures and description 

 show a somewhat interesting case of acci- 

 dental variation : 



The antlers are those of a common 

 deer (Cervus Virginianus). The buck 

 from which they were taken was about 

 five years old, and was shot by a gen- 

 tleman of long and varied experience 

 as a hunter ; he thinks them quite 

 exceptional in shape. 



Fig. 1. 







In their dimensions and their great 

 width, as compared with thickness, they 

 show a strong resemblance to the palmat id 

 antlers of the caribou, or an approach to 

 the antlers of the elk. 



Fig. 1 shows the position and curvature 

 of the antlers. As indicated, they differ 

 somewhat in outline, and the left one is 

 shorter and broader than the right. 



Fig. 2 is a reduced sketch obtained by 

 tracing the outlines of the left antler on a 

 large sheet of paper, and then corrected by 

 careful measurements with calipers. 



The measurements are : 



Width from tip to tip 15| inches. 



Length of exterior curvature from root 



to tip 1 S J " 



Direct height 14 " 



Width at 1 1$ " 



" 2 2i " 



3 41 " 



" * 41 



5 ty " 



6 3 u 



" 7 HI " 



" 8 ,| 



Fig. 2. 



Thickness at a J inch. 



b J " 



c f 



d J " 



e i " 



/ A " 



a 1 " 



Girth at root of antler 5| inches. 



" 2 5f " 



" 4 10J " 



" 1 4| 



" 8 4J 



E. R. Lelaxd. 

 Eauclaike, Wis., June 19, 18T6. 



WHO ERECTED STONEHENGE? 

 To the Editor of the Popular Science Monthly. 



When a boy, the writer walked many 

 miles to visit Stonehenge. He was utterly 

 alone with these hoary ruins on that tree- 

 less plain, and retains, after a third of a 

 century, a vivid reminiscence of the scene 

 and its suggestions. 



The attribution of these remains to the 



