From George Sassoon
Adrian Barnett, in his article on Irish elk
(25 March, p 36), expresses
uncertainty as to the function of antlers. Surely, as in the case of modern red
deer, they were reservoirs of minerals which were gnawed by the hinds at the
time when their calf fetuses were growing rapidly.
The antlers must go somewhere after being shed. On my farm in Scotland I have
seen not only hinds but also cattle and sheep gnawing at shed antlers, the soil
being very deficient in calcium. Were it not for this, the place would be metres
deep in antlers.
Isle of Mull
