Mr. J. E. Hartijuj on Forest AnimaU. 81 



heard that stags *' shed their horns," but of the meaning 

 of the words they have no clear idea. Least of all do they 

 imagine that the whole of the strong, thick, solid growth 

 parts at the base from the spot where it grows, and drops 

 to the gromid like a dead leaf in autumn. Nor do they 

 know that out of the hard bone there sprouts forth a soft, 

 sap-filled shoot, which grows up like a tree with branches. 



The exact time of shedding the horns depends in some 

 measure upon the age of the animal and the temperature 

 of the winter and early spring. They are sometimes shed 

 towards the end of February or beginning of March ; but 

 should the winter be cold and spring protracted, the stags 

 shed their horns as late as May — the old ones at the begin- 

 ning, the young ones at the end of that month. It is very 

 rarely, however, that an old stag is seen with his old horns 

 on after the beginning of May; but a two-year-old deer will 

 carry them for a month or two later."- 



In a few days after the old horns have dropped the new 

 growth shows itself, and gradually the new antlers are 

 developed. They are then covered with a thick velvet 

 which preserves the point, as yet soft and tender, from 

 injury. While in this soft condition they are very sen- 

 sitive, and to avoid injury by striking them against trees 

 the deer leads a life of retirement. In about twelve weeks 

 they are full grown, and as they gradually harden the 

 animal rubs them against a tree to get rid of the velvet. 

 This can only be done gradually, and a stag may often be 

 seen at this time of year with the velvet hanging in strips, 

 being only partially detached from the horns. The weight 

 of the antlers in a full-grown stag varies, according to their 

 size and massiveness, from ten, twelve, to fifteen pounds. 

 This is nothing compared to what antlers used to weigh in 

 former days, a circumstance which must have attracted 

 the notice of all who have examined old collections of deer's 

 heads, such, for instance, as may be seen in some of the 

 royal palaces and ancient halls in Germany. This is to 

 be accounted for by the fact that the deer formerly 

 attained a much greater age than they are now allowed 



* Collyns, " Chase of the Wikl Keel Deer," pp. 32, 33. 



