THE ANTLERS. 213 



appear the next ; still the four first tines and a bifurcation above 

 them, may, with considerable confidence, be relied upon, for all 

 after the first are forked near the ends ; frequently the specimens 

 taken from the older bucks show three tines at the upper fork. 



The second and subsequent antlers present forms of the same 

 general characteristics, though they are subject to considerable 

 variation in detail. These antlers rise with a lateral inclination 

 more or less pronounced, some being very spreading while others 

 are much more vertical. They assume at first an anterior direc- 

 tion, and then curve backward. All the normal tines have an 

 anterior projection, though frequently abnormal tines or snags 

 occur which violate this law. 



The burr is large and rough. The brow-tine springs from 

 immediately above the burr, in a descending and lateral dii-ec- 

 tion ; but at about one third its length from the point, it com- 

 mences a graceful upward curve so that the point stands nearly 

 vertical. The terminal point is very sharp. Immediately above 

 the brow-tine, the bez-tine springs out in a less depressed and 

 more lateral direction. It is nearly the same length and form as 

 the brow-tine ; above this the beam becomes reduced in size and 

 rises as a naked round shaft, till the royal-tine is thrown out. 

 This is generally considerably smaller than those below, and has 

 an upward inclination. In this it differs from the antlers on the 

 stag of Europe, where the royal-tine is usually larger than the 

 brow-tine. In Europe, also, on the red deer, the bez-tine is 

 usually much smaller than the brow-tine, though I have met with 

 specimens there, which correspond with our Elk in these par- 

 ticulars, and I have met with specimens grown here, having the 

 small bez-tine and more frequently with the large royal-tine. 

 I have in my collection a very large fossil antler, on which tlie 

 royal-tine is as large proportionately as any I ever saw from the 

 red deer. 



Up to and including the ro^-al-tine, usually both antlers are 

 very much alike. Above this, while they generally nearly cor- 

 respond in length and volume, they are quite likely to differ in 

 the number and size of their prongs ; but we may always expect 

 to find them near the ends, either bifurcated or trifurcated. On 

 the red deer it is not uncommon to find the upper part of the 

 antler greatly expanded, with a deep indentation, forming a cup 

 of the capacity of a gill or more, from the irregular rim of which 

 several tines, probably of unequal length, spring up. These ai'e 

 called crown antlers. When studying these abroad, I regarded 



