DECIDUOUS NATURE OF DEER ANTLERS 



345 



Clearly there is a significant relation between shedding and re- 

 growth of antlers, such that one never occurs without the other. To 

 learn if renewed growth might be affected by preventing shedding, 

 in each of three sika deer the old antler on one side was sawed off 

 within a centimeter of its base, a hole was drilled longitudinally 

 down into the pedicle, and a tantalum screw was tightly inserted 

 (Fig. 13). In two of these deer both antlers were shed within a 

 few days of each other, apparently because the screw was not driven 

 deep enough into the pedicle. In the third deer, however, the con- 

 trol antler was shed in less than a week, but the operated one re- 

 mained attached for another 7 weeks. Despite this obstruction, the 

 pedicle skin on the operated side developed into antler tissue which 



Fig. 13. Appearance of antler soon after it was secured to pedicle with 

 tantalum screw. 



Fig. 14. Same antler approximately 1 month later. Incipient antler tissue is 

 bulging around the sides and is beginning to put up a branch from posterior 

 margin. 



Fig. 15. Photograph taken on day the old antler was finally lost (7 weeks 

 after opposite control antler was shed) . 



Fig. 16. At end of summer the posterior branch had elongated considerably, 

 while a curved outgrowth had been produced from the central area. 



