HIPPOPOTAMUSES, PIGS, AND DEER 329 



disappear, the first which goes being the bez tine, while the 

 cup is often represented by a simple bifurcation of the terminal 

 point beyond the trez. There is little doubt that but for the 

 intervention of man and the introduction of stags from Germany, 

 the British deer, if it had not become extinct, would have 

 degenerated to quite a small stag, with relatively simple antlers. 



Occasionally it happens that a stag is polled — that is to say, 

 grows no antlers at all, merely retaining the bony pedicles. Yet, 

 so far from this being due to want of virility or vigour, these 

 stags are generally heavier in build and much stronger than their 

 horned brethren, with whom they contend so successfully for the 

 possession of the hinds, that the polled stag is often the best 

 breeder. 



After the growth of a stag's antlers is complete, and the 

 velvet is all removed (which means that the blood-vessels per- 

 meating the outer skin have dried up), the bone which remains is 

 looked upon by many as dead matter, especially towards the end 

 of the time in which it is borne by the stag's head ; but Mr. 

 Millais points out that the antlers of the stag, and of other deer 

 as well, are permeated in the cells of the bone with an oily 

 substance, seemingly composed of mucus and fat. But a 

 certain amount of blood would still seem to ascend through 

 the pores of the bone from the pedicle even after the velvet 

 is stripped off the outside, and no doubt the antler still 

 continues to " live," in an ever-lessening degree, until the time 

 has come for it to fall off, this falling off being brought about 

 by the absolute death of the bone above the pedicle. Naturally, 

 whilst the stag's antlers are still covered with the velvet, this 

 skin is not only permeated with blood-vessels, but with nerves, 

 and the horns are extremely sensitive to injury. The older stags 

 retain the velvet much longer than the young ones, whose horns 

 take a much shorter time to grow, and Mr, Millais has pointed 

 out how young stags whose horns are hard, and no longer 

 sensitive, will for a few weeks enjoy the extreme pleasure of 

 bullying their elders and superiors, whose softer antlers are 

 much too sensitive to deal a return blow. 



