ANTLER AND FERN. 85 



horn ; brow, bay, tray, and three on top, or 

 six points a side for each antler twelve 

 for the pair. Sometimes there are additional 

 points starting from the beam like the tray, 

 but not so long, making thirteen, or more, 

 points to th'e antlers. Besides these, little 

 knobs appear on the beam like points about 

 to grow, which are said to be " offers," as 

 if a point had offered to grow there. 



In reckoning an antler with these they 

 say twelve points (or more, as the case may 

 be) and an offer. Twelve is sometimes ex- 

 ceeded, as many as fifteen, and even in 

 one case twenty points and offers having 

 been known. Not all the antlers reach 

 twelve, generally failing in the top-points. 

 Often there are only two on the top instead 

 of three, and sometimes the top of the 

 antler is not divided and only gives one 

 point. Occasionally the absence of the top 

 points is the result of malformation, but is 



