THE STAG.
HOI
Cer'vus El'aphus, Linn. L. E. — The Stag.
^ (Cornu, L.—Horn, E .—Cornua Cervina Jlamentn, D.)
I e P e atedK^ ^. 0( b the hart and the hind (the male and female stag) are*1). ■j’jjg ll ' entu,n( 'd in the Bible (ex. Deut. xiv. 5, and Psalms, xviii.:it *fl -Vvi ce!j j^ r ' S al so noticed by Hippocrates , Aristotle , Pliny , Galen,
'«/-* 6 6 ^har.—I ncisors 5, canines „ — 5, or „ — 5, mo-
* ,ac k. 6 ir® ^ or 'hi- Canines, when they exist, compressed and bent
y^hansvl h'ng, terminated by a muzzle. Eyes large, pupils elorr
\ n 9 Ue soft erS n y ‘ ^ lachrymal sinus in most. Ears large and pointed-
< l,( >ii<i ,' Body slender. Four inguinal mamma. Horns solid, deci-
exc endnl mated ’ branched, or simple, in the males; females, with one
Sp. 'vitliout horns.
Sa,n >oit fo R ' 7 ~H°rns with three anterior antlers, all curved upwards, the* ll,, <siX p" U] S a crown of snags from a common centre. Lachrymal011 hie buttoc] j re ^" l3rown in summer > brown-grey in winter. A pale disc
The stag usuallybegins to shed hisantlers in Februaryor March, immedi-ately after which theirreproduction begins,and by duly he hascompletely renewedthem. The first sen-sible phenomenon oftheformation of theseparts is the vascularexcitement about thefrontal bone. Thearteries are observedto be enlarged, and topulsate more stronglythan usual; the heatis increased, and, iniliatrviJ -ome on. Very soonWfG’^te 1 °, cartilaginous tubercles, one on each side ; these enlargebo ( ' V ’ il velv T S ^^ n ’ by which they acquire, from the distension of the^0°’ but th covei 'b 1 g- These tubercles are soon converted into realt 6l , t jj e e deposit of ossilic matter does not stop here ; it continuesWj^d the 6 &Se °* t; b e an tiers, thus giving rise to what has usually beentfjj 1 dvo sets^^T' ^bese osseous prominences, the antlers, are suppliedb>ih- le,1 b and ° v . esse ^ s —an external or cutaneous, which is the mostitjj, ’ they ar at * internal. By the pressure made on the former by the' , it(. a s,1 Pplv 6 f Pbiiterated : the covering of the antlers no longer receiv-0*1 vess e ^ blood, soon ceases to live, dries up, and falls off. The^ er > tvhen l cont i nue to keep up the life of the bone for a few monthsc oath takes place. This occurrence may be in part owing
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