DEER. 295 



A new prolongation now takes place, and the antler 

 shoots out, covered with skin and hair, but destined 

 to be shed and renewed in the same manner. At 

 each successive renewal it generally becomes more 

 elongated, but in old age it ceases to enlarge, or 

 even diminishes, and the size of the horn varies in 

 the different species, being in some extremely elon- 

 gated, with numerous branches, in others very short, 

 and almost simple. In some the horns are flattened 

 and palmated, as in the Fallow Deer kept in our 

 parks ; while in others the shaft and branches are 

 round. Our two native species of Deer have horns 

 of the latter kind. 



