DEE 
DEE 
aftrophyte kind, having ten rays where they are 
firft parted from the body, each bf which is repeat- 
edly ramified. 
DEER. A numeroiis geriiis of animals of the 
iorder of pecora in the Linnsean fyftem ; the diftin- 
guifliing charafters of which are, that the horns are 
deciduous every year, folid, and ramified; and that 
there are eight cutting teeth in the lower-jaw, and 
none in the upper. 
If we compare the internal ftruflure of the bull 
and theftag, we fhall find i linking fimilitude be- 
tween them; though, in fhape and form, no two 
animals can be more diflimilar. Though one of 
thofe creatures is among the fwiftefl, and the other 
the heavieft, of the creation, the following are the 
flight internal diftinflions between therril all the 
Deer kind are deftitute of a gall-bladder; their 
fpleen is proportionably larger; and their kidneys 
are differently formed. 
Deer compofe fome of thofe innocent and peace- 
able animals which embellifli the forefts and ani- 
mate the folitudes of nature. The eafy elegance 
of their form, the lightnefs of their motions, and 
thofe large branches wliich feem rather intended to 
ornament their heads than to contribute to their 
powers of defence, their magnitude, their ftrength, 
and their fleetnefs, all confpire to rank them among 
the firft of quadrupeds, and the moft worthy objc6ls 
of human curiofity. 
Deer, Stag. The Stag, or Hart, the female of 
which is called a Hind, and the young a Calf, dif- 
fers, both in it's magnitude and in the conformation 
of it's horns, from the Fallow-Deer. The Stag is 
much larger; and his horns are round; while thofe 
o{' the fallow kind are broad and palmated. The 
firft year, the Stag has properly no horns, but only 
a kind of corneous excrefcence, fhort, rough, and 
covered with a thin hairy fkin; the fecond year, the 
horns are fingle and ftraight; the third year, they 
have two antlers; the fourth, three; the fifth, four; 
and the fixth, five. The animal's age, however, 
cannot always be known with certainty by thefe in- 
dications, for fometimes they are more, and fre- 
quently lefs. When arrived at the fixth year, the 
antlers do not always increafe ; and though the 
number may amount to fix or feven on each fide, 
the Stag's age is then eftimated rather from their 
fize, and the thicknefs of the branch which fuftains 
them, than from their number. 
Thefe horns, notwithftanding their magnitude, are 
filed annually, and lucceeded by new ones. Of the 
old horns, which are of a folid, firm texture, handles 
for knives, and other domeftic utenfils, are ufually 
made ; but, while young, nothing can be more ten- 
der or foft: and the creature, as if confcious of it's 
imbecility, after fhedding it's former horns, inftantly 
retires from the reft of the herd, and, hiding itfelf 
in folitudes and thickets, never ventures abroad for 
the fake ofpafture, but in the night feafon. Dur- 
ing this interval, v/hich ufually happens about the 
latter end of February or the beginning of March, 
the new horns occafion a very conficierable degree 
of pain to the poor Stag, and have a keen fenfibility 
of any external impreffion; at which time alfo the 
fiies are very troublefome to the animal, who on 
that account appears difconfoiatjt and dcje<5led. 
When the old iiorns are ftied, the new ones do 
nor immediately begin to appear; but the bones of 
the fkull are then inverted only with a tranfparent 
periofteum, or fkin; which, according to anato- 
mifts, covers the bones of ail anim.als indifcrimi- 
nately. This Ikin, hovveverj foon becom.es tumid, 
and forms an excrefcence cbntaining a confidera- 
ble quantity of blood, and which gradually ap- 
pears covered with a downy fubftance foft as velvet, 
ahd nearly of the fame colour with the reft of the 
animal's hair. This tumour daily protrudes from 
the point like the graft of a tree ; and, rifing by de- 
grees from the head, fiioots out die antlers on each 
fide; fo that in a few days, according to the condi- 
tion of the animal, the whole head is compleated. 
For fbme time, hbwever, the horns are very foft, 
arid covered with a fort of bark, which is merely a 
continuation of the integument of the fkull. This 
bark is velveted and downy, and every where fur- 
niftied with blood-veflels, which fupply the na- 
fcent horns with nouriftiment : as they creep along 
the fides of the branches, their prints are marked 
over the whole furface ; and, the larger the blood- 
veffels, the deeper thofe prints appear. Hence, 
arife the inequalities on the furfaces of the horns of 
the Deer kind, which we fee furrowed all along 
the fides, the imprefiions diminifliing towards the 
points, where the parts are as fmooth and folid 
as ivory. But it fliould be remarked, that the 
fubftance of which the horns are compofcd begins 
to harden at the bottom, while the fuperior part re- 
mains foft, and continues to grow; from whence 
we may rationally conclude, that the horns of Deer 
grow differently from thofe of flieep or cows, which 
are invariably obferved to increafe from their bot- 
toms. However, when the vvhole head h.as at- 
tained it's full grov/th, the extremities begin to ac- 
quire their folidity; the velvet covering, or bark, 
together with the blood-velTels, dry up, and then 
begin to fall ; which proccfs the animal itfelf feem.s 
to accelerate, by rubbing it's antlers againft every 
tree that it approaches: and in this manner the 
whole external furface being gradually ftripped off, 
the head at laft acquires it's complcat hardnefs, 
expanfion, and beauty. 
To enter into a philofophical enquiry \vith re- 
fpe6l to the produ<5lion of thefe horns, would lead' 
to an extenfive field of doubtful argumentation : 
fuffice it therefore to obferve, that if a Stag be caf- 
trated when his horns are flied, they will never 
grow again ; and, on the contrary, if die lame 
operation be performed while the horns are in 
perfedion, they will never fall off'. If he be de- 
prived of only one of his tefticles, he will be defti- 
tute of one horn on that fide; and if one of theni 
is only tied up, he will want the horn on the oppo- 
fite fide. The quantity of his provifions will alfo" 
tend to facilitate the growth and expanfion of his 
horns. Buffbn affcrts, that it is pofTible to ftop 
their growth entirely by a confiderable retrench- 
ment of food ; and, as a confirmation of this affer- 
tion, nothing can be more obvious than the diffe- 
rence between a Stag bred in a fertile pafture and 
undifturbed by the hunter, and one ill fed and lia- 
ble to perpetual alarms : the head of the former is ex- 
panded, his antlers are numerous, and the branches 
thick; whereas the latter has but few ramifications, 
the traces of the blood-veffeis on them are but 
flight, and their expanfion is inconfiderable. The 
beauty and fize of their horns, therefore, mark the 
ftrength and vigour of the animais; for fuch of 
them as are fickly, or have been wounded, never 
protrude that magnificent profufion fo much ad- 
mired in the Deer kind. Thus the horns may not 
inapdy be affnnilated to a vegetable produftion 
grafted on the head of the animal: like vegetables, 
they grow from the extremities ; like vegetables, 
they ai-e for fome time covered with a nutritive 
.3 I k^rki 
