108 HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



And these antlers grow in about ten weeks. Every year 

 they are shed towards the end of winter, and they grow 

 anew in summer. The bulls and bucks only have horns, 

 with which they fight fierce battles against each other. 

 Against beasts of prey, the does and cows of this family 

 strike with their feet. But we must postpone learning 

 more about these most beautiful of all mammals to some 

 other time. 



Products derived from cattle, sheep, and other ruminants : 



As the facts concerning this part of the lesson are well known, only 

 an outline is given here, which the teacher should expand and treat of 

 in detail. 



1. Meat beef, mutton, venison. 



2. Milk, butter, and cheese. 



3. Hides for leather. 



4. Wool for clothing. 



5. Hair for felt, etc. 



6. Tallow. 



7. Valuable manure. 



8. Bones and horns. 



The teacher should read some good account of the trans- 

 portation of live-stock from this country to Europe, and 

 about exportation of frozen mutton from Australia, and tell 

 the pupils about it. 



Formerly oxen were used as draft animals much more 

 than now ; they were thus used by the early settlers on our 

 prairies. What makes oxen valuable draft animals in a new 

 country ? Why are they almost entirely supplanted by 

 horses when the country becomes well settled ? 



Conclusion. We learned some time ago why the grasses 

 are the most valuable plants. In the lessons just finished we 

 have learned that the cud-chewing animals provide us with a 

 large and very important part of our animal food, and that 

 with their wool, skins, and hair they furnish us the most valu- 



