THE ANTLERS. 181 



into the antler ; the second have been cut off by the closing of 

 the canals within the pedicel through which they passed into the 

 antler ; the third have been cut off by the consolidation of the 

 lower extremity of the antler, which I have likened to the artic- 

 ular plate of internal bones. But remember, the canals through 

 which these pass into the articulation have not been and never 

 will be filled ujd, but within the articulation they retain their 

 vitality, while above it they are practically destroyed. Now, 

 these blood-vessels retaining their vitality within the articulation 

 commence a new and important work which is assigned them — 

 that is, the work of absorption. Tiiey pick up particles or rather 

 groups of granules, of what I call the articular plate, and carry 

 them away, and when a sufficient number of these particles have 

 been thus removed, the antler becomes loosened from its seat, or 

 at least the point of junction becomes weakened, and the antler 

 drops off, or is more generally removed by some slight force 

 before it has become completely loosened so as to drop off by its 

 own gravity. 



The moment the antler is thus removed the blood flows freely 

 from the ruptured vessels which had passed into the articulation 

 and done the work of absorption, but not a trace of blood can 

 be found coming from the antler ; the detached convex surface, 

 which is of an immaculate whiteness, though rough like very 

 coarse sand-paper, shows plainly where the particles had been 

 removed by absorption. 



Blood is frequently found on the end of the antler, which oc- 

 curs when some force has been applied to the antler, when it is 

 nearly ready to drop off, not sufficient to detach it entirely, but 

 which partially separates it from the seat, and ruptures a part 

 of the blood-vessels there, when the blood will insinuate itself 

 wherever the separation has occurred and stain the end of the 

 antler. 



The fact that blood flows freely from vessels around the bor- 

 ders of the pedicel and not a particle from the antler, the mo- 

 ment the separation takes place, shows, what a more critical 

 examination also proves, that at least some of the blood vessels 

 passing into the articulation remain open and active up to the 

 time of separation, while they are effectively closed by the solid- 

 ification of the lower extremity of the antler. 



I may give one or two examples to illustrate this. Early in 

 April, while walking through the park, I met Dick, a very tame 

 four-year old buck. One antler was standing, but the other 



