CERVID.E. 249 



monly called the velvet, which becomes dry and is thrown off; and at each 

 successive renewal of the horns, they become larger and more developed, 

 getting additional branches in some, till excessive age, when they diminish 

 at each renewal During the renewal of the antlers a strong determina- 

 tion of blood to the head takes place, the vessels enlarge much, and a 

 fibro-cartilaginous matrix is secreted on the summit of the cone, taking 

 the form of the antler of each species. In their early condition the horns 

 are soft and yielding, with a highly vascular periosteum, and delicate 

 integument, the cuticular portion of which is represented by fine, closely- 

 set hairs (the velvet). As development goes on, progressive ossification 

 takes place, the periosteal veins become enlarged, grooving the external 

 surface, the arteries are enclosed by hard osseous tubercles at the base of 

 the horns, which coalesce and render them impervious, and the supply 

 of nutriment being thus cut off, the envelopes shrivel up and fall off, 

 and the animals perfect the desquamation by rubbing their horns 

 against trees, tehnically called " burnishing." 



There is a remarkable sympathy between the -generative organs and the 

 horns. The rutting season immediately follows the development of the 

 antlers, and it appears to owe its energy to the determination of the blood, 

 now no longer required for the formation of the horns, to the generative 

 system. If castrated, deer shed their horns as usual, and these are succeeded 

 by others that never drop off, but grow weakly, irregularly, and with the 

 velvet more or less permanent. If castrated very young, horns do not appear 

 at all. The popular opinion , as expressed by Buffon, was, that if castrated 

 they do not shed their horns at all ; and it is possible that this may be the 

 case if they are castrated immediately after the appearance of the horns. 



The deer found in India mostly belong to a peculiar group, occurring 

 chiefly in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia ; but two species 

 of elaphine deer occur within our limits. 



Sub-fam. CERVIN^E, True Stags. 



These comprise the red deer of Europe and its affines, the reindeer 

 and the fallow-deer ; and are chiefly found in the northern parts of both 

 continents. They possess a median tine or royal antler, found (with 

 very rare exceptions) in no other deer. Body longer, and with a 

 somewhat different carriage. 



Gen. CERVUS, Linn, (restricted). 

 Char. Horns of adults typically with two basal tines, a median tine, 



