The Annual Increment of the Antlers of: the Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

Summary. The weights of the successive pairs of antlers of 37 Red Deer, 34 from the Warnham Court herd, are recorded. 33 series are recorded for the first time. The mean annual increments in antler‐weight for the Warnham Court herd are as follows: (a) for all specimens for which data exist for 2 successive years; (b) for specimens for which data exist for 10 or more successive years:— The season has a great influence on antler‐weight. In some seasons (e.g. 1924) practically all specimens produced very poor antlers, the percentage deviation from the mean of all antler‐weight increments for that year being ‐200 per cent.; while other seasons are very favourable, e. g. 1923, in which the corresponding deviation of weight‐increments was +143 per cent. The unfavourable conditions of 1924 caused a marked absolute decrease in antler‐weight in 7th‐year stags, a less marked decrease in 6th‐year stags, and a slight absolute decrease in 5th‐year stags. In 4th‐year stags, however, though the growth was very much reduced, there was an absolute increase of antler‐weight. Since 1900, when the treatment of the park at Warnham with lime was discontinued, the rapidity of antler‐growth has not been so great. The conditions affecting antler‐growth are discussed. A method is given for estimating quantitatively the average performance of individual stags with regard to antler‐production. The number of points in 1st growth antlers at Warnham is frequently 4 instead of 2, and 9‐ and 12‐pointers have been seen. Correspondingly high numbers for 2nd and 3rd year heads are recorded.