44 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



outside the off antler, was merely a redundant point 

 starting from the beam, or was in reality a third antler. 

 This could not be decided until the skull was cleaned ; 

 even then it was a matter of opinion, though most of 

 the experts held it to be a third antler, for, in addition 

 to having a burr around the base of the antler, there 

 is a corresponding bony formation on the skull. The 

 socket, or as the French call it " pivot," from which 

 the normal antler starts on the off-side, where the 

 duplication takes place, is almost the same size as that 

 from which the antler on the near side springs, and 

 is about the same height ; but, instead of being com- 

 pleted into a perfect circle, it joins a little lower 

 down, and outside, a second socket rather larger in 

 size which protrudes in a curious way over the eye, 

 a section of the whole being rather like a badly- 

 formed figure eight. The burr follows the shape of 

 the socket, and the beam and the spire touch and 

 are joined for about an inch. The beam of the 

 normal antler, which carries the ordinary brow, bay, 

 and tray, measures \\ inches in girth, and the spire 

 or third antler 5^ inches. 



Those who held it all to be a single antler based 

 their view on the fact that though there was appa- 

 rently a separate pivot line the junction of the two 

 above the burr would have prevented each from 

 being shed independently. 



This was another instance of a stag with a notice- 

 ably peculiar head never having been seen till a 

 week or two before he was taken. He appeared to 



