THE ANTLERS. 231 



be no doubt that it contributes largely to the well being, the 

 preservation, and the improvement of the race. The most vigor- 

 ous and active males are still left masters of the field and so 

 become the progenitors of succeeding generations. 



It has long been a prevalent opinion among hunters, and to 

 some extent has been adopted by naturalists, that a race of com- 

 mon deer the adults of which have antlers without branches, have 

 established themselves in the northeastern part of the United 

 States and in Canada, whence they are driving out the prong- 

 antlered bucks. 



This is a matter of the greatest scientific importance, and I 

 have taken pains to investigate it to my satisfaction, and am 

 entirely convinced that it is a popular error, founded upon in- 

 complete observations. The spike bucks found in the Adiron- 

 dacks are all yearling bucks with their first antlers. The uni- 

 versal testimony, so far as I have been able to gather it, is, that 

 they are smaller than the average of the prong-antlered bucks, 

 and that their spikes vary in length from eight inches, or ten 

 inches at the very utmost, down to two or three inches in length. 

 It is only the largest of these, that any have claimed to be 

 adults. It is very easy for a hunter to sa}^, and even believe, 

 that he has killed deer with spikes ten inches long, but did he 

 actually measure them, and make a note of the fact, with time and 

 place, describing its appearance, and take and note the measure- 

 ments of the animal, or did he preserve the head, so that he, 

 could carefully examine it, after the excitement of the chase was 

 over, or so that he could submit it to the examination of others ? 

 I have never heard of such a case ; such a head and antlers 

 would bring more than many times the value of the largest 

 carcasses ever sent to market. It is never safe for an observer to 

 guess at dimensions, but he should always resort to measure- 

 ments, and even then he must not trust his memory. All obser- 

 vations should be noted down on the spot and at the time, even 

 while the eye is upon the object, and be sure that every impor- 

 tant fact is stated. He who waits till he gets to camp to make 

 his notes, is sure to make them of little value. The very act of 

 noting down our observations, leads us to notice many important 

 things, Avhich would otherwise be entirely overlooked. If hunt- 

 ers and anglers would generally provide themselves with note 

 books and measure, and whenever they kill an interesting speci- 

 men would make careful measurements and minute notes of 

 them, they would soon educate themselves into excellent natural- 

 ists, and would add vastly to our fund of reliable zoological 



