THE MULE AND WHITE -TAILED DEER 
millions. The white-tail has practically vanished from its old homes in 
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Kentucky, the western 
parts of Missouri, and the southern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, 
Michigan and New York; but is still abundant in Northern New York, 
Quebec, Ontario, Northern Texas, Northern New England, Maine, 
Northern Michigan and the drier part of Florida. It is not very plentiful 
in New Brunswick, though a hunter is generally able to get his two deer 
by working for them. 
The horns of the white -tail, when normal, at first rise up and outwards, 
and then bend forward, so that the main beam is a continuous one and not 
forked as in the mule deer. There is a large sub -basal snag, generally much 
larger than that of the mule deer and often forked at its extremity. On the 
upper surface of the main beam are usually three to six long points. 
In nearly all well developed heads the horns are abnormal and there is 
much palmation in the centre of the main beam, and many supernumerary 
points are added both on the side and below the main beam and on the 
long points themselves, so that the whole head may, in exceptional cases, 
become a perfect forest of small excrescences and points. 
It is almost common to see fine white -tail heads with snags developed all 
round the base of the horn, whilst in some the “dropped” bifurcation 
depending from the middle of the beam, and itself again furnished with 
other small points, is not rare. In fact, it is not too much to say that in 
all big heads there is a paradoxical regularity of irregularity. Perhaps the 
most remarkable head ever killed is the seventy-eight pointer in the 
possession of Mr Albert Friedrich, of San Antonio, Texas, of which he 
sends me a photograph. This is the largest number of points ever seen on 
any deer head, though I have possessed a sambur head of seventy points 
and have a photo of a caribou head of seventy points. 
The example in question was killed in Texas many years ago, but par- 
ticulars are wanting. It is a perfect little tree of points and snags and has 
several large “dropped ” bifurcations all furnished with additional points. 
It is also a very large head. Another head of remarkable growth is the 
forty-two pointer, killed many years ago in the Adirondacks, which was 
until recently in the possession of Major Frewan. I do not know its 
present owner. Though small it is also a little tree of horn and almost 
unique in its character. 
The photograph of a remarkable white -tail head with thirty-five 
points, killed in Minnesota, is given in “ Recreation,” June, 1897. Horn® 
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