NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 189 
pair of antlers, you ean see that the chances for a deer to attain a full de- 
velopment is growing more unfavorable every year. The reason why sjnke 
horns seem to be more numerous than formerly, is that there are more 
hunters and fewer old deer. If any oue can show me a spike horn of a 
deer that is Me or more years old, that is not the gen of accident, I 
would like to 
The same ceeded exists with the moose and carraboo. It is now 
almost impossible to procure a large and well developed pair of moose 
or carraboo horns, while some years ago they were plenty. — W. J. Havs. 
ADIRONDACK’s REPLY. — In replying to the criticism of Mr. Hays, I er 
unless I can take time to collect testimony, only reiterate my form 
mesigiirhe that I shot on Louis Lake a buck with spike-horns, viti 
a yearling, nor a two years old, nor a three years old even, but a 
M pee of full age and size; and that I afterwards shot on Cedar 
Lakes a buck- with spike-horns, which was pronounced to be a ‘three 
year old." I will add that I have conversed on the subject of ** spike- 
horn bucks" with a number of hunters and guides, some born in the 
Adirondacks, others who have lived there many years, and that the tes- 
timony of all agreed that spike-horn bucks are of all ages and sizes, and 
that they are slowly increasing in the southern part of the Adirondack 
region 
I shot the large buck on Louis Lake, Silas Call, then a noted and 
. most intelligent guide, now keeper of the inn at Northville, was with me. 
He will undoubtedly remember the facts and testify to them if called upon. 
When I shot the smaller spike-horn. William S. Robinson, Esq., of- Mal- 
den, Mass., stood by my side. Hon. F. W. Bird, of Walpole, was of the 
party, and saw the deer at the shanty. I do not know that either of these 
den has ever given attention to the subject of spike-horn bucks; 
but Mr. Bird has hunted a good many years in the southern Adirondacks, 
gentlemen for using their names without their consent, but, living at a 
place reached only by infrequent mails, I have no time to procure it.] 
David Sturges, the keeper of the inn at Lake Pleasant, born there, and 
one of the best and most successful guides and hunters of the Adiron- 
dacks, could give valuable testimony on the question. He has been upon 
the lookout all through the past autumn and early winter, for the head of 
with horns **in the velvet," before next September. I hope then Mr. 
Sturgis will be mgre:successful. But spike-horn backs; of full age and 
size, are not yet common, and a young one will not answer your purpose. 
Of the figures of ** spike-horns " (Fig. 67) by Mr. Hays, neither resembles 
very closely the trne spike-horn. I have the pair from the young spike- 
horn buck shot by me, and will send them to you whenever I go to a place 
reached by the express. I will send with them the antlers of a common 
“two year old” buck. You will at once see the difference. You will see 
too, what was the fact, that the spike-horns came from the larger deer. 
