VOL. XVII. (i) NOTES ON ANTLER OF RED DEER 51 



NOTES ON AN ANTLER OF A RED DEER FROM 



THE GRAVELS AT STANLEY DOWNTON. 



NEAR STROUD 



BY 



CHARLES UPTON 



[Plate XIV.] 

 (Read January i8th, 1910) 



The Antler, the subject of this note, was found some years 

 ago in the Stanley-Downton Gravel-pit. The pit is situated 

 in an elevated patch of gravel lying between King Stanley and 

 Leonard Stanley. The antler was not imbedded in the gravel 

 itself, but was found in what appeared to be a "trough" or 

 depression in the gravel. Nothing was observed to indicate 

 whether the "trough" had been formed artificially or by 

 natural agencies, although the former would appear to be the 

 most hkely. The depth of the " trough " would be about three 

 feet, and the antler was lying approximately two feet below 

 the surface. There was nothing on the surface to point to the 

 existence of the " trough," which was filled in with a dark 

 reddish infilling, consisting of an admixture of surface-soil and 

 pebbles from the gravel. No flints or other bones were ob- 

 served, but about two or three broken shells of Helix nemoralis 

 were embedded in the infilUng material. In this connection it 

 should, however, be mentioned that circumstances prevented 

 the further investigation of the "trough," so that its extent 

 and purpose could not be ascertained. The illustration (PI. 

 XIV. fig. 2) is from a photograph taken before the antler was 

 completely extracted ; while fig. i, PI. XIV. shows the antler 

 in its present condition. That it was not shed in the annual 



