NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



Deer were not inclosed in parks till the fourteenth century. 

 James I. imported a great number of deer, probably rein-deer 

 (though the books say fallow -deer), from Norway into Scotland, 

 and introduced them into his chases of Enfield and Eppiug. 



THE PROGRESSIVE RATE OF GROWTH OF THE HOKNS OF EED 



DEER is a most interesting subject. By the kindness of the 

 authorities of the museum at Exeter, I am enabled to give 

 drawings of a series of Eed Deer horns. These horns were 

 shed by the same deer, and carefully preserved as they fell off. 

 The following is the account of this most interesting and unique 

 series : 



" The six pairs of horns belonged to the same animal, reared 

 from a calf by John Clarke, of Lynton, N. Devon, and were 

 shed annually in the spring. The drawings illustrate the mode 

 of growth of the horns or antlers and their annual increase in 

 size from the first to the eighth year of the animal's life. This 

 individual was kept in a dry grass field without water, and was 

 never supplied with any artificial food whatever. Before the 

 animal was one year old the horns began to appear, about the 

 latter end of May. In the following April these were shed, 

 when they were nine inches long (Fig. 1). A very short time 

 afterwards, others began to be developed, and in the latter end 

 of April following these were also shed, though not both on 

 the same day. These had ' brow,' ' bay,' and ' tray,' with upright 

 altogether upwards of two feet in length (Fig. 2). In his fourth 

 year he had the same kind of antlers, with two points on top on 

 one horn, and two and an offer on the other (Fig. 3). In his 

 fifth year, antlers as before, with two points and an offer on 

 each horn (Fig 4). In his sixth year, antlers the same, with 

 three points on each top. In his seventh year, antlers as before, 

 with four points on each top (Fig. 6). In his eighth year 

 (when he was killed), antlers as before, though on one horn the 

 points were not so perfect as in his seventh year. It will thus 

 be seen that this deer had seven points on each horn, making 

 together fourteen (Fig. 7). 



" The age of the stag, or male red deer, which alone bears 

 horns or antlers, may be pretty easily determined by the num- 

 ber of the branches till its seventh or eighth year ; but after that 

 period the increase of those parts is not subject to any fixed 

 rule. The oldest have seldom more than ten or twelve branches. 



" In England, at the present day, the red deer exists in a 

 state of nature only on Exmoor, a wild tract of country on the 

 borders of Devon and Somerset, from whence came the animal 

 whose head and horns are here exhibited. The red deer still 



