254 
SEXUAL selection: mammals. 
Part 
Wapiti deer ( Cervus Canadensis ) in Judge Caton’s park 
in Ottawa, and several men tried to rescue him, the stag 
“ never raised his head from the ground ; in fact he kep* 
‘his face almost flat on the ground, with his nose near!? 
“ between his fore-feet, except when he rolled his hea^ 
“ one side to take a new observation preparatory 1°, 
“ a plunge.” In this position the terminal points 
the horns were directed against his adversaries. 1 
“rolling his head he necessarily raised it somewhat 
“because his antlers were so long that he could « ot 
“ roll his head without raising them on one side, whiJ® 
“on the other side they touched the ground.” T ,lf ’ 
stag by this procedure gradually drove the party ot 
rescuers backwards, to a distance of 150 or 200 feet- 1 
and the attacked man was killed. 22 
Although the horns of stags are efficient weapo» s ’ 
there can, I think, be no doubt that a single poi pt 
would have been much more dangerous than a branched 
antler; and Judge Caton, who has had large exp er) ' 
ence with deer, fully concurs in this conclusion. ^ 0> 
do the branching horns, though highly important as !l 
means of defence against rival stags, appear perfect!' 
well adapted for this purpose, as they are liable t° 
become interlocked. The suspicion has therefore cross? 
my mind that they may serve partly as ornament”' 
That the branched antlers of stags, as well as 
elegant lyrated horns of certain antelopes, with th e '| 
graceful double curvature, (fig. (12), are ornament 1 
in our eyes, no one will dispute. If, then, the bort 1 * 
like the splendid accoutrements of the knights of ° 1(l ’ 
add to the noble appearance of stags and antelop 1 '' 
they may have been partly modified” for this purpose 
See a most interesting account in the Appendix to Hon- J* ^ 
Caton’s paper, as above quoted. 
