4 6 



PROBLEMS OF RELATIVE GROWTH 



factors. The reason that the weights for adults fall upon the 

 line corresponding to a constant growth-ratio with k = about 

 i-6 appears simply to be that during the decline of the antler's 

 growth-ratio, a rather narrow range of values for the growth- 

 coefficient is attained during adult life (see Fig. 26), the great 

 majority falling between say i-8 and 1-4. 



o-4 



0-3 



SJ 



0-2 



1 > 



/ 

 / 



/ 



f 

 / ^ 

 / S^ 



js£ 



s / 



_^£L y 



^^ / 



/ 

 / 

 / 

 / 



/ 



/ 



. L 



30 



40 



Fig. 27. 



15 20 



Kg Body- wi 



-Relative size of antlers in adult Roe-deer (Capreolus caprea). 



Solid line, antler-weight against body-weight in 405 Roe-deer ; k = 0-57. Dotted line, prolongation 

 of corresponding curve for adult Red Deer (see Fig. 25). Logarithmic plotting. See Table III. 



Corresponding data for the Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) 

 gave what at first sight appeared a quite paradoxical result — 

 namely a decrease of relative antler-weight with increase of 

 absolute body- weight among adult males (Fig. 27). There is 

 thus negative heterogony of the antlers, with a growth-co- 

 efficient of about 0-57. Reflection suggests the probable ex- 

 planation. There is no reason why the decline in the antler's 

 growth-coefficient with age should not in another species 

 proceed much faster than in the Red deer, and reach a stage 



