SPIRACULA IN DEER. 35 



vegetation in general must have suffered prodigiously. There 

 is reason to believe that some days were more severe than 

 any since the year 1739-40. 



LETTER XIV. 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. 



SELBORNE, March 12, 1768. 



DEAR SIR, If some curious gentleman would procure the 

 head of a fallow deer, and have it dissected, he would find it 

 furnished with two spiracula, or breathing places, besides the 

 nostrils ; probably analogous to the puncta lachrymalia in the 

 human head.* When deer are thirsty, they plunge their noses, 

 like some horses, very deep under water, while in the act of 

 drinking, and continue them in that situation for a considerable 

 time ; but, to obviate any inconveniency, they can open two 

 vents, one at the inner corner of each eye, having a communi- 

 cation with the nose. Here seems to be an extraordinary 

 provision of nature worthy our attention, and which has not, 

 that I know of, been noticed by any naturalist : for it looks 

 as if these creatures would not be suffocated, though both their 

 mouths and nostrils were stopped. This curious formation of 

 the head may be of singular service to beasts of chase, by 

 affording them free respiration ; and no doubt these additional 

 nostrils are thrown open when they are hard run. f Mr Ray 

 observed, that at Malta the owners slit up the nostrils of such 

 asses as were hard worked ; for they, being naturally strait or 

 small, did not admit air sufficient to serve them when they 

 travelled or laboured in that hot climate. And we know that 

 grooms and gentlemen of the turf, think large nostrils neces- 

 sary, and a perfection, in hunters and running horses. 



Oppian, the Greek poet, by the following line, seems to have 

 had some notion that stags have four spiracula : 



* This is termed the lachrymal sinus, is common to the whole of the 

 genus cervus, and exists in many of the antelopes En. 



f In answer to this account, Mr Pennant sent me the following curious 

 and pertinent reply : "I was much surprised to find in the antelope 

 something analogous to what you mention as so remarkable in deer. This 

 animal also has a long slit beneath each eye, which can be opened and 

 shut at pleasure. On holding an orange to one, the creature made as 

 much use of those orifices as of his nostrils, applying them to the fruit, 

 and seeming to smell it through them." 



