1876.] 



SIR V. BROOKE ON CKRVUS SCHOM BURGKI. 



305 



this fine species. The entire external surface of the abnormal horns 

 (fig. 2) is covered with dense nodular exostosis, intersected by deep 

 furrows, which adds greatly to their circumference, and gives to the 

 extremities of the tines a blunt rounded outline. A section through 

 the centre of one of the tines shows no line of demarcation between 

 the external and internal portions of the horn, the same remarkable 

 density pervading the whole ; hence the very great weight of the 

 horns, which is nearly double that of the normal pair. 



FUr. 2. 



Abnormal antlers of C. schomburgki. 



There can, I think, be no doubt that this abnormal condition has 

 been the result of injury to the testes of the deer to whom these 

 horns belonged — many specimens, affected by a similar exostosis, 

 which exist in my own and public collections having been the direct 

 result of castration. Though much still remains to be ascertained 

 by carefully conducted experiment and observation before an exact 

 and exhaustive knowledge of the effects of injuries to the testes of deer 

 upon their antlers can be obtained, the three following propositions 

 mav, I think, be considered as resting upon a moderately firm ba^is. 



(1) If a deer is perfectly castrated within the first six months of 

 his life, no antlers are ever developed. (2) If castrated during the 

 growth of his antlers, their growth in a natural direction is immedi- 

 ately arrested, and the velvet is retained during life, the horns fre- 

 quently assuming very varied monstrous forms. (3) The castration 

 of a deer with fully grown antlers free from velvet, causes the pre- 

 mature fall of these antlers, which are immediately replaced by a 

 pair of antlers of normal or subnormal external outline and dimen- 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 187G, No. XX. 20 



