"branching honours."
The antlers, or, as they are sometimes called, "points," often increase
in number with the age of the animal, until as many as fifteen make
their appearance. This, however, is rare. Indeed, the food of the
animal has much to do with the growth of his horns. In an ill-fed
specimen they do not grow to such size, nor branch so luxuriantly as in
a well-fed fat buck.

We have said that the horns fall annually. This takes place in winter--
in December and January. They are rarely found, however, as they are
soon eaten up by the small-gnawing animals.

The new horns begin to grow as soon as the old ones have dropped off.
During the spring and summer they are covered with a soft velvety
membrane, and they are then described as being "in the velvet." The
blood circulates freely through this membrane, and it is highly
sensitive, so that a blow upon the horns at this season produces great
pain. By the time the "rutting" season commences (in October), the
velvet has peeled off, and the horns are then in order for battle--and
they need be, for the battles of the bucks during this period are
terrible indeed.--Frequently their horns get "locked" in such conflicts,
and, being unable to separate them, the combatants remain in this
situation until both perish by hunger, or fall a prey to their natural
enemy--the wolf. Many pairs of horns have been found in the forest thus
locked together, and there is not a museum in America without this
singular souvenir of mutual destruction!

The hair of the American deer is thickly set and smooth on the surface.
In winter it grows longer and is of a greyish hue; the deer is then,
according to hunter phraseology, "in the grey." In the summer a new
coat is obtained, which is reddish, or calf-coloured. The deer is then
"in the red." Towards the end of August, or in autumn, the whole coat
has a blue tinge. This is called "in the blue." At all times the
animal is of a whitish appearance on the throat and belly and insides of
the legs. The skin is toughest when "in the red," thickest "in the
blue," and thinnest "in the grey." In the blue it makes the best
buckskin, and is, therefore, most valuable when obtained in autumn.

The fawns of this species are beautiful little creatures; they are
fawn-coloured, and showered all over with white spots which disappear
towards the end of their first summer, when they gradually get into the
winter grey.

The American deer is a