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 up, 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. They 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 
