MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 279 
points. Such cases are called crown-antlers. The first set of 
antlers are slender spikes called dag-antlers, and it is rare to 
find any trace of bifurcation. The second set have brow and 
bez-tines, and possibly other snags. The third year adds the 
royal tines, and succeeding pairs vary considerable, but con- 
tinue to enlarge many years. These wonderful organs, pro- 
duced in so incredibly short a time each summer and dropped 
in autumn or winter, have always attracted much attention. 
Though so horn-like these appendages were early seen to differ 
from ordinary horn which is an epidermal excrescence. They 
are really peculiar bones left exposed to view by the denuda- 
tion of their original skin-like covering. So much has been 
written about the antlers and their development that we need 
not go into details. A very complete general account may be 
found in Caton’s Deer of America, 
The antlers contain more animal matter than ordinary bone, 
butin most respects the structure is similar. Much obscurity still 
exists as to the exact physiological explanation of the excite- 
ment which causes this growth by concentrating the blood at 
these points. During the period of growth the sensitive cover- 
ing or velvet is especially vascular and sensitive, but blood is 
also supplied by the periosteum below and haversian canals. 
The velvet dies and is peeled voluntarily, but authors disagree 
as to whether the cessation of the flow of blood is due to the 
mechanical closing of the vessels passing to the velvet by the 
growth of the burr at the base. or by a more subtle process. 
After the velvet is removed, a process more or less painful and 
attended with loss of blood, the antlers become hard, and the 
deer sets about polishing the tips by abrasion against tree 
trunks and among the boughs. The growth of the antler is 
dependent on the generative organs, at least largely, and cas- 
tration causes a curious abortion or malformation, also prevent- . 
ing the shedding at the proper time. It is stated that the elk 
assist each other in the removal of the antlers, and that heaps 
of these appendages may be found in places where the males 
have congregated for this purpose. Of the truth of this we can 
notvouch. Thecomparative rarity of suchrelics is accounted 
for by some one on the ground that mice at once devour them. 
The eyes of the elk are prominent and expressive, the ears 
large and very movable, neck short and flexible, tail very short. 
The summer pelage dirty yellowish-gray upon the body, with 
chestnut brown head, legs and under parts. In winter the 
colors are much darker and sexual differences appear, the 
