THE STAG. 71 



intermingling of a transition state, suddenly stopped ; 

 while each pulsating throb, suspended at the instant, 

 in the very act of heaving, is congealed, held fast, and 

 prevented from being transitory. 



This is clearly perceptible on the one branch of the 

 antler here given. An exuberance of vital energy 

 caused the beam to grow on in unusual strength to a 



height where, instead of such solid thickness, it gene- 

 rally becomes tapering. Here was an extraordinary 

 expenditure of strength on this strong beam: it had 

 shot up in massiveness, instead of dividing into many 

 smaller branches ; but nature, as though intending to 

 make good the omission, had begun at the extremity 



F 4 



