STAG, HIND, AND CALF. 113 



upright horn, from six to eight inches in length, with 

 brow antler. At four we find the animal bearing the 

 spire about fourteen inches long with brow and trey. 

 At five years old the bay is added to the points found 

 on the four-year-old deer (not invariably, however, for 

 in some stags the bay is never thrown out, and in 

 others it is found on one horn only) and two points or 

 crockets on the top of one horn. At six the stag has 

 his rights, and two on top of each horn ; at seven the 

 same, with two on top of one and three on top of 

 the other horn ; at eight the same, with three on top 

 of both horns. After the age of seven or eight years 

 the alteration in the horn becomes less marked than it 

 was before that age. Generally speaking, however, 

 the beam or main horn increases in size and length as 

 the deer grows older ; the horn becomes wider in its 

 spread, and more serrated and gnarled on its surface ; 

 the points or rights become longer, and in some very 

 old stags the top of the beam spreads so as to become, 

 to a certain extent, palmated ; and the points on the 

 palm or cup increase in number. It occasionally 

 happens that after a stag has passed his prime the 

 horns decrease in size and form. The deer is then 

 called a "bater " (? abater) or " backer." 



Such is the theory as enunciated by Dr. Collyns, 



I 



