198 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



not accurate enough for calculation. About seven or eight tines 

 are the usual number. The largest pair of horns I have seen, 

 measured five feet and two inches from tip to tip, the heaviest 

 weighed about fifty pounds They shed them in Febru- 

 ary, and I have seen the young velvet horn in April." 



These quotations are from the very best authorities, — good 

 observers, with the very best attainable opportunities for observ- 

 ing. Mr. Morrow's observations, that some old specimens drop 

 their antlers in December, merely establishes a fact which had 

 not been observed by the others, but which he had himself wit- 

 nessed. It is the general impression that the antlers of the 

 Moose attain their gi'eatest development when the animal has 

 reached his full maturity ; and that when advancing age begins 

 to impair his vigor the antlers grow less in size and are less per- 

 fectly developed, and that this deterioration progresses as age 

 enfeebles the animal ; and I think the weight of the evidence is in 

 favor of this conclusion ; but if this be so I think it is exceptional, 

 for with the other members of the family, judging from my own 

 observations and the best evidence I can get from others, the 

 antlers increase in size after the animal has attained his full 

 development, and probably so long as he lives, in health at least. 



The antlers on the young Moose are of a chestnut brown ; as 

 they grow older they lose the chestnut shade and become a gray 

 brown, and as they grow older still, they assume a lighter shade, 

 till finally on aged animals they become fairly white. 



These observations apply equally to the Scandinavian Elk, 

 only as a general rule the antler on the latter is less palmated 

 than on our Moose, and the tines are longer and larger, although 

 specimens may be found from the American variety, presenting 

 this peculiarity to as great an extent as in Europe, and there too 

 antlers are found as much palmated as here, so that it is only of 

 the average that the remark just made is applicable if a number 

 ai'e compared together. By reason of the exceptional structures 

 met with on both continents, it is never safe to declare the oi-igin 

 of any single specimen presented, although an inspection of a 

 considerable number together might leave little doubt as to 

 whence they came. Those from America Avould be found to be 

 larger, by reason of the increased size of the animal here, as well 

 as more palmated, with smaller tines. 



As we have already seen, bifurcated antlers with double palms 

 are met with in both countries, though tliey are very rare. 



I here present an illustration of an antler of a Scandinavian 



