168 
CERVUS VIRGINIANUS.— Pennant. 
Common American Deer. 
PLATE C X X X V I . — Male and Female. 
(Fawn.) PLATE L X X X I .—Winter Pelage. 
In our article on the Virginian Deer (vol. ii. p. 220), we gave descrip- 
tions of the characters and habits of this species ; we now present figures 
of the adult male and female. 
We have not much information to add to that already given : it may be 
of interest, however, to notice the annual changes which take place in the 
growth of the horns, from adolescence to maturity, and the decline which 
is the result of age. 
At Hyde Park, on the estate of J. R. Stuyvesant, Esq., Dutchess 
county, New York, seven or eight Deer were kept for many years, and 
several raised annually. We had the opportunity at the hospitable 
mansion of Mr. Stuyvesant, of examining a series of horns, all taken 
rom the same buck as they were annually shed, from the first spikes to 
the antlers that crowned his head when killed ; and we now give a short 
memorandum showing the progress of their growth from year to year. In 
1842, when this buck was one year old, his horns (spikes) had each one 
rudimentary prong-one about five eighths of an inch long, the other 
scarcely visible ; in 1843 they had two prongs four to six inches long ; in 
1844, three prongs, and brow antlers, longest prong eight inches ; in 1845, 
a little larger in diameter, brow antlers longer and curved ; 1846 rather 
less throughout in size ; 1847, the two last prongs quite shortened. ’ These 
last were somewhat broken by an accident, but evidently show that the 
animal had lost some degree of vigour. Age when killed, six years. 
It should be observed that this animal was restricted to a park and was 
partially domesticated, being occasionally fed a little in the winter season • 
and being thus deprived of the wider range of the forest, the horns may 
not have exhibited all the peculiarities of the wild unrestrained buck. 
We think however that the above will give a tolerably correct idea of 
the operations of nature in the annual production and conformation of the 
horns. They become longer and more branched for several years, until 
the animal has arrived at maturity, when either from age or disease they 
begin to decline. 
In connection with this subject it may not be uninteresting to notice the 
