Chap. XVII. Mammals — Law of Battle. 5 1 1 



used in attack. Sir Philip Egerton also informs mo both as to 

 red-deer and fallow-deer that, in fighting, they suddenly dash 

 together, and getting their horns fixed against each other's 

 bodies, a desperate struggle ensues. When one is at last forced 

 to yield and turn round, the victor endeavours to plunge his 

 brow antlers into his defeated foe. It thus appears that the 

 upper branches are used chiefly or exclusively for pushing and 

 fencing. Nevertheless in some species the upper branches are 

 used as weapons of offence; when a man was attacked by a 

 wapiti deer (Cervus canadensis) in Judge Caton's park in 

 Ottawa, and several men tried to rescue him, the stag " never 

 " raised his head from the ground ; in fact, he kept his face almost 

 " flat on the ground, with his nose nearly between his fore feet, 

 " except when he rolled his head to one side to take a new 

 " observation preparatory to a plunge." In this position the 

 ends of the horns were directed against his adversaries. " In 

 " rolling his head he necessarily raised it somewhat, because his 

 " antlers were so long that he could not roll his head without 

 " raising them on one side, while, on the other side, they touched 

 " the ground." The stag by this procedure gradually drove the 

 party of rescuers backwards, to a distance of 150 or 200 feet ; 

 and the attacked man was killed. 26 



Although the horns of stags are efficient weapons, there can, 

 I think be no doubt that a single point would have been much 

 more dangerous than a branched antler ; and Judge Caton, who 

 has had large experience with deer, fully concurs in this conclu- 

 sion. Nor do the branching horns, though highly important as 

 a means of defence against rival stags, appear perfectly well 

 adapted for this purpose, as they are liable to become interlocked. 

 The suspicion has therefore crossed my mind that they may 

 serve in part as ornaments. That the branched antlers of stags 

 as well as the elegant lyrated horns of certain antelopes, with 

 their graceful double curvature, (fig. 64), are ornamental in our 

 eyes, no one will dispute. If, then, the horns, like the splendid 

 accoutrements of the knights of old, add to the noble appearance 

 of stags and antelopes, they may have been modified partly for 

 this purpose, though mainly for actual service in battle ; but I 

 have no evidence in favour of this belief. " 



An interesting case has lately been published, from which it 

 appears that the horns of a deer in one district in the United 

 States are now being modified through sexual and natural selection. 

 A writer in an excellent American Journal - 1 says, that he has 



"* See a most interesting account 27 ' The American Naturan*t, 



m the Appendix to Hon. J. D. Dec. 1809, p. 552. 

 Caton's paper, as above quoted. 



