THE EAR.— THE ANTLERS. 169 



a turn or two, he generally manages to run up to me for protec- 

 tion, when she will stop a little way off, bring the ears to a ver- 

 tical position, and look as if she would like to enjoy a hearty 

 laugh at the alarm she had created in the great, cowardly brute, 

 that is strong enough to toss her over the fence on his antlers. 



The severe and long continued cold of the winter of 1875 was 

 endured well by this tropical deer, and also by the Ceylon deer ; 

 but in the spring, I found the borders of the ears of all had been 

 so frozen, that they were curled up in a sort of gathers all round 

 the edges, but, with one exception, it was only on the very edges 

 that the vitality seemed to be destroyed. This when it peeled 

 off left the ear without perceptible change. I saw nothing of 

 the kind on the ears of any of the Virginia deer, which are next 

 in delicacy of structure. The longer these deer remain exposed 

 to the cold winters of this latitude, the more dense becomes the 

 winter coat on the ears, and even on the other parts as well. 



The Antlers. 



An examination of the antlers of the deer makes it first neces- 

 sary that we inquire of their constituents, then of their system of 

 nutrition, their mode of growth, their maturity, their decay and 

 rejection, and finally of their uses. 



An analysis of these antlers shows that they are composed of 

 the same constituents as internal bones ; that they are in fact 

 true bones, though in the proportion of their constituents they 

 differ slightly from ordinary bones. Healthy ordinary bone con- 

 sists of about one tliird part of animal matter, or gelatine, and two 

 thirds of earthy matter, about six sevenths of which is phosphate 

 of lime and one seventh carbonate of lime with an appreciable 

 trace of magnesia. The animal matter gives the bone elasticity 

 and tenacity, the earthy matter hardness and rigidity. 



The antlers of the deer consist of about thirty-nine parts of 

 animal matter and sixty-one parts of earthy matter, of the same 

 kind and proportions as is found in common bone. This is the 

 mean of many results of analysis of antlers of different species 

 of deer, by diffei-ent processes, among which very little differ- 

 ences were found in results. This excess of animal matter seems 

 necessary to give the antler elasticity and strength, and fit it for 

 the purposes for which it is designed. 



A critical examination shows that their system of nutrition 

 and mode of growth are identical with those of internal bones, 



