62 NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU 



which offers no place to the weaklings. They die off 

 usually by natural causes, being unable to withstand the 

 hardships which are encountered by all wild animals or 

 in some cases they are killed by the more powerful 

 members of their own species ; and so the weakling almost 

 invariably falls an easy and usually an early victim. In 

 most, if not all species of deer, the stags do not fight for 

 their mates in every instance, but only when occasion 

 demands that they shall prove their claim to be worthy of 

 the right to perpetuate their race. 



Nature apparently regarding this to be of such great import- 

 ance, has provided for the condition more with the deer family 

 than with any other of the large mammals, I believe. In fact, 

 it seems as though the greater part of the stag's life were 

 arranged with this one idea in view. During about five 

 months, or nearly half of the year, the horns are being 

 grown ; the Caribou stag usually begins to show indications 

 of new horn in May or early June and from then until 

 September the horns are growing ; such immense growth 

 of bone means that a large proportion of the nourishment 

 taken by the animal is devoted to this purpose. The 

 growth is complete in September, then comes the hardening 

 process during which the velvet or soft protecting coat, 

 designed to keep the horn at the right degree of moisture, 

 dries, and has to be peeled off. During all these months 

 the animal has had absolutely no use for its horns. 

 They have, on the contrary, been an impediment to his 

 freedom of action, always tender and demanding care lest 

 they be injured. The velvet is removed chiefly by rubbing 

 the horns against the rough bark of a tree ; trees are 

 often seen which have their bark scraped off for several 

 feet by the vigorous action of the antlers. As some parts 

 cannot be reached by this simple method, the animals use 



