The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-17
A BUoK's HORNS.
One of the Most Remarkable Productions
OF NntnFo-

of Nature,
81 Louh Globe Democrat
| don't believe there is anything
more curious in nature than bucks
horns, says an old Pennsylvania hunt
or, They begin to mako their appear
anCe in tho spring OF the bucks second
year. The first sign Of their coming is
a swelling OF the skin over tho spots on
top of the head from which the horns
are to rise The antlers arc now bud
ding, for on the swelling spots are the
tootstalks from which theyare to spring,
and the arteries Of the head-the ant
lers being, III all their preliminary or
cartilaginous stages, but parts OF
the animals general system
are beginning to deposit on
them, little by little, but with great
rapldity the bony matter OF which the
finished horns are composed, AS the
antlers grow the skin still stretches
over them and continues to do 80 until
they have reached their natural size
and become solid horn. This Is tho
stage In the growth OF the antlers that
is technically known among hunters
as the time when the buck is in velvet,
Tho skin is indeed q beautiful velvet
covering. and all beneath it is in fact
simply a great tissue OF blood vessels.
While the horns continue soft and u
part Of the deer's nervous and vinous
structure, tho arteries which run up
from the head through them make fur
rows in the yielding substance. 1t is
these burrows that give to tho bucks
horns their rough, corrugated surface
when they have become hardened.
1.-THE bucks first horns do not arrive
at the dignity OF antlers. They are
simply graceful, sharp.pointed spikes;
hence the term spike buck' among
hunters. Each succeeding year adds a
prong, though, and when the buck is
adorned with his proud head.gear OF
five prongs, all hunters know that he
can't DO less than seven years old. The
flve.prong antler is the perfect and
complete one, and any more prongs
have no Significance except as freaks.
But the velvety skin, with its delicate
Rub-arterial structure, grows with aud
envelops all the great spread oil tho
fiVe.prong antler, as we'll as the few
inches of tho young bucks spike. As
long as the horns are in velvet they are
extremely tender and entirely useless.
The soft skin must therefore be re-
moved, but not suddenly or roughly,
and not until another extraordinary
stage in the development Of the horns
Is completed. The arteries and their
circulation must be disconnected from
the horns before the skin is brokon, or
the result would be the turning OF the
large quantity OF blood back to the
brain or some internal organ, and death
be the result.
The danger ia prevented and the de-
sired end accomplished by the forma-
ton Of a rough ring OF bone around the
base Of the hornsI notches being left in
1t at first for the passage Of the arteries.
These openings are gradually con
tracted US new bone forms, until the
arteries are compressed as by a itga-
ture, and the circulation above the
ring OF the bone is etfectually stopped,
The velvet skin, thus deprived of its
vital source, dries up and peels off Of
the horns, a process which the buck
now hastens by rubbing his antlers
against the trees. This rubbing against
the trees displaces more or less bark,
and leaves u favorite sign to the OBJ
servant hunter passing through the
woods that there are deer about, When
tho velvet is of the horns they have
reached their perfect stage.
That the sweeping, powerful antlers
Of mature buck, which he carries so
proudly and defiantly, should DO but the
growth OF a fortnight or so does not
seem possible, but such is the TACT.
When early spring comes again q new
set Of horns begins to sprout, They
spring from the head like a growing
plant, and push last years antlers from
their place. These fall from the bucks
head. The new horns soon crown him
again proudly, but what becomes Of the
cast off set2 l have asked that ques.
ton scores OF times and paused for are
ply. / am pausing yet.