594 Home Nature-Study Course. 



any sons of pioneers still living in your locality, you will undoubtedly be able to 

 get some interesting stories about these animals, that will give the pupils a special 

 interest in them. The lesson should not be given unless the pupils have had an 

 opportunity to see the animal. 



LESSON CLXIV. 

 A deer's physical adaptations. 



Purpose. — To study the deer's adaptations to its life, 



Its food is grass or the foliage of young forest trees. In New 

 Hampshire now the deer are preserved and have become so numerous 

 that they roam out of the forests and destroy the forage crops of the 

 farmers. It would be well to compare the deer with the cow in studying 

 its form. Note how much longer in comparison to the body are the legs 

 of the deer than are those of the cow. Bring out the fact that the deer 

 run very fast and make great leaps to escape from enemies ; the enemies 

 are the wolves, panthers, and other large cats, and wolverines. When 

 brought to bay the deer have two ways of fighting; by striking with the 

 head and horns, and by stamping with the feet. Note that it is the males 

 that have the large, branched horns. Explain that these horns are shed 

 once a year and that the new horns develop rapidly. They are at first 

 full of blood vessels and soft and covered with what is known as " velvet." 

 Each year the horns are more and more branched and this indicates the 

 age of the animal. When running, the tail is lifted, showing the white 

 cushion of hairs which surrounds it ; this is used as a signal to keep the 

 herd together when escaping by flight. The deer has very acute sense 

 of smell and of hearing. The ears are large, the eyes are beautiful, 

 soft and gentle. The foot has the split hoof, like that of the cow and 

 sheep. The fawns are spotted with white, which is a protecting color in 

 the forests where sunshine filters through the trees. 



As much of the study of the deer must be done from books, it would 

 be well to let part of this work be an exercise in English on one of the 

 following themes : The autobiography of a deer which lived in this 

 place one hundred and fifty years ago. An account of the deer preserves 

 in New York State and the game laws relating to deer. 



Supplementary Reading. — "American Animals," p. 31 ; Forest, Fish 

 and Game Reports ; " Familiar Life of Field and Forest," p. 235 : 

 "Wilderness Ways," p. i; "Secrets of the Woods," p. 128; "Ways of 

 Wood Folk : " " Northern Trails." p. 162 ; " School of the Woods." pp. 

 253 and 287; "Popular Science Reader." p. 314; "Camp Fires of a 

 Naturalist;" "Watchers of the Camp Fire." p. 31; "Kindred of the 

 Wild," p. 287; "The Watchers of the Trails," p. 311; "Forest Neigh- 

 bors," p. 201 ; "Animal Heroes," p. 321 ; " Neighbors with Claws and 



