9S The Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



form, the fourth year they become palmated, with 

 a brow antler and three or four points, the fittn 

 season they liave two crown antlers and perhaps 

 five points, the points increasing in size each year, 

 and one or two points being added annually, until 

 the animal arrives at its greatest vigour, after which 

 period they decrease in size, and the points are not 

 so fully thrown out. The longest pair I ever met 

 with had eighteen points (others have seen them 

 with twenty-three points), they expanded five feet 

 nine inches to the outside of the tips ; the breadth 

 of palm eleven inches without the points ; circum- 

 ference of shaft, clear of the burr, nine inches ; 

 weight, seventy pounds ! The old and vigorous 

 animals invariably shed them in December ; some, 

 of four or five years old, I have known to carry 

 them as late as March, but this is not often the 

 case." 



By noon the sleighs have reached the further 

 side of the lake and deposited- the hunters at the 

 spot. -selected for their camp. This is at a short 

 distance only from the water, and while Pierre 

 Lefranc starts off on his snow-shoes to search for 

 any "sign" of moose. Groves and Paul see to the 

 encampment, and then go down to the lake to 

 catch a dish of fresh fish. And let us sec how the 

 hunters try to make themselves a comfortable 



