THE ANTLERS. 209 



My only information is that the old bucks shed their antlers 

 by the end of November, while the young bucks carry theirs 

 until spring, and the females retain theirs until May or June, 

 when they are about to drop their young. 



In one respect only do the antlers of the Barren-ground Cari- 

 bou resemble those of the Lapland Reindeer more than do those 

 of the Woodland Caribou, and that is in the feature that they are 

 less palmated in proportion to their volume. In this we observe 

 the same distinction between the reindeer of the Old World and 

 those of America that we see between the elk of Europe and the 

 moose of this country. In both a larger proportion of the antler 

 is in the palms on the American varieties than on the European, 

 and yet we find both extremes in this regard in both countries. 



With the female Caribou the dropping of the antlers seems to 

 be intimately connected with the time of parturition, and yet we 

 would suppose that that of all the year would be the time when 

 she most needs weapons for the defense of her young. If, as a 

 general economy of nature, parts are adapted to wants or ends, 

 this would seem to be an exception ; yet I think it not improb- 

 able that a more intimate acquaintance with the subject would 

 explain these phenomena consistently with the general rule. 



The naturalist must remember that he is not required to ex- 

 plain the purpose of every provision in nature which he ob- 

 serves, or else abandon this law, at least till he is sure that he 

 understands all its uses ; and yet so thoroughly imbued is the 

 mind with the integrity of this law that one is often tempted to 

 conclusions from partially observed facts when a more intimate 

 acquaintance with the subject would instruct jiim that he had 

 been too hasty in reaching conclusions, or convince him that he 

 has not yet discovered the purposes designed by the provision. 

 We must not understand this law as requiring that everything 

 is designed for the benefit of the individual, for it may be de- 

 signed for the benefit or protection of others. Hence some nat- 

 uralists have concluded that the early shedding of the antlers of 

 the male deer is designed to deprive him of the means of de- 

 stroying the young of the species, when these are too feeble to 

 escape his persecutions. Now this assumes that the aged males 

 have such destructive dispositions, without, so far as I know, a 

 single fact to warrant it, and especially does it overlook the fact 

 that all the members of this family use the fore feet as powerful 

 weapons, except in earnest combat, when the antlers serve as 



shields as well as swords. Undoubtedly were the male disposed 

 u 



