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, asa 
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 him 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 
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