The Wapiti and his Antlers. 45 



Prominent among these, it will be remembered, was Mr. E. N. 

 Buxton, who was assisted by a committee,* while Mr. J. E. Harting 

 and Mr. Oldfield Thomas, of the Natural History Museum, under- 

 took the extremely onerous and responsible duty of carefully 

 measuring the exhibits, of which there were close upon two 

 hundred. The catalogue prepared and issued by the committee 

 contained the result of this arduous work with the measuring tape, 

 as well as some notes upon the chase of the principal game 

 animals whose grand trophies graced the lofty room. These 

 were furnished by members of the committee, and Mr. Harting 

 contributed a very useful systematic list of the species exhibited. 

 Woodcuts and photographs (with the latter only a very limited 

 number of copies were provided) lent a further value to this 

 catalogue. 



Unfortunately, only an inadequately small edition was printed, 

 and the result is that to-day it is practically impossible to obtain 

 copies, and those furnished with photographic representations of 

 the chief heads are, I am told, worth (the plates having been 

 destroyed) a 10 note. Under these circumstances a selection of 

 its principal contents may be welcome. 



It will be remembered that on the occasion in question most of 

 the antlers were mounted on stuffed heads, which, of course, made 

 it impossible to ascertain what, in the opinion of those versed in 

 antler lore, is the most important quality, i.e., weight. The 

 dimensions ascertained by the two gentlemen I have already 

 named as having taken upon themselves this laborious duty were : 

 A, length of horn measured along curve behind, from base to tip of 

 longest tine ; B, circumference at thinnest place between bay and 

 tray ; and C, greatest clear width between the main beams (not, as 

 many suppose, greatest lateral width between tips of tines furthest 

 apart). 



* It consisted of the following sportsmen : Messrs. E. N. Buxton, 

 H. Seton-Karr, M.P., J. M. Hanbury, A. Pendarvis Vivian, J. E. Harting, 

 Moreton Frewen, T. Bate, W. A. Baillie-Grohman, and Gerald Buxton, Hon. 

 Sec. 



