Ca. 
'ap. XVII. 
MEANS OP DEFENCE. 
203 
I^ts developed solely as a means of defence against 
ae attacks of other males. Some kinds of deer use, 
a p"’e have seen, the upper branches of their horns 
Chiefly or exclusively for defending themselves ; and 
, le Oryx antelope, as I am informed by Mr. Bartlett, 
. e bces most skilfully with his long, gently curved horns ; 
ll t these are likewise used as organs of offence, lilii- 
ll °ceroses, as the same observer remarks, in fighting 
^ arr y each other’s sidelong blows with their horns, 
''tich loudly clatter together, as do the tusks of boars, 
^though wild boars fight desperately together, they 
s Odotn, according to Brehm, receive fatal blows, as 
bese fall on each other’s tusks, or on the layer of 
pistly skin covering the shoulder, which the German 
1,1 uters call tho shield ; and here we have a part speci- 
fy modified for defence. With boars in the prime 
°* life (see fig. 63) the 
tusks in the lower jaw 
ar ® used for fighting 
u t they become in 
age, as Brehm 
. a tes, so much curved 
hoards and upwards, 
° v er the snout, that 
th, 
e y can no longer be 
pus used. They 
Head of common wild boar, in prime 
of life (from Brehm). 
I ~ wouu, XUOJ IflUVj 
l0 Wever, still continue 
to serve, and even in F:g 
a still more efl’ective 
p l nner, as a means of defence. In compensation for 
.b® loss of the lower tusks as weapons of offence, those 
1,1 die upper jaw, which always project a little later- 
increase so much in length during old age, and 
c Urve so much upwards, that they can be used as a 
bieans of attack. Nevertheless an old boar is not so 
