ATAVISM OR REVERSION. 157 
the Musquash estate, and hearing that a cow moose 
with horns had been shot I at once drove over to St. 
John’s, saw the beast which was then unskinned and of 
course I could not see that it was a cow, so I bought 
the head for a trifle, skinned and stripped it. This was 
in November, 1859.” 
We have authentic evidence of the occurrence of antlers 
in female deer—in roedeer (Capreolus caprea), Virginian 
deer (Cariacus Virginianum), moose (Alces machlis), red 
deer (Cervus elephas). The occurrence of antlered 
females in other genera of deer is extremely rare. 
The existence of antlers in female deer is not, as far 
as I can ascertain, necessarily associated with ovarian 
disease or sterility. Again, hen birds which assume 
cock plumage regularly moult ; female deer with antlers 
do not shed them as is the case with the males which they 
mimic. 
It may be useful to add a list of birds in which the 
hen has been seen in male plumage: pheasants (com- 
mon, golden, and silver), the common hen, pea-hen, 
partridge, bustard, American pelican, wild and domestic 
duck, cuckoo, cotinga or bell-bird, chaffinch, bunting. 
