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 third 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 different 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, 
