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The Descent of Man

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are used as weapons <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fence; when a man<br />

was attacked by a wapiti deer (Cervus canadensis)<br />

in Judge Caton's park in Ottawa, and<br />

several men tried to rescue him, the stag "never<br />

raised his head from the ground; in fact he kept<br />

his face almost flat on the ground, with his nose<br />

nearly between his fore feet, except when he<br />

rolled his head to one side to take a new observation<br />

preparatory to a plunge." In this position<br />

the ends <strong>of</strong> the horns were directed against his<br />

adversaries. "In rolling his head he necessarily<br />

raised it somewhat, because his antlers were so<br />

long that he could not roll his head without<br />

raising them on one side, while, on the other<br />

side they touched the ground." <strong>The</strong> stag by this<br />

procedure gradually drove the party <strong>of</strong> rescuers<br />

backwards to a distance <strong>of</strong> 150 or 200 feet;<br />

and the attacked man was killed. (26. See a<br />

most interesting account in the Appendix to<br />

Hon. J.D. Caton's paper, as above quoted.)

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