THE MUSK OX 



327 



which has the peculiarity of having the shortest cannon bones of 

 any Ruminant. Its name denotes its range 



O 



= -r-g^TOS ^^*^3(t^S^SP^*^ S*. 'f 



FIG . 1 7 7 . Goral . Nemvrrh aedus goral. 



(From Nature.) 



The Musk Ox, Ovibos moschatus, has been thought to be on 

 the borderland between the Sheep and Oxen, as indeed expressed 

 in its scientific name. It is a purely Arctic creature, now con- 

 fined to the Nearctic region ; but it formerly existed in the 

 Arctic regions of Europe. 



The anatomy of the " soft parts " of this genus has lately 

 been investigated by Dr. Lonnberg. 1 The animal has no foot 

 glands such as occur in Ovis. Its kidneys, however, are non- 

 lobate, and it has orbital glands. The cotyledons of the placenta 

 are unusually large, and the cow has the " primary four " teats. 

 It cannot, in fact, be definitely referred to either the Caprine or 

 the Bovine section of the Cavicornia, and while possibly most allied 

 to Budorcas, it may be regarded, at least for the present, as 

 entitled to form a separate sub-family of its own. The muzzle 



1 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1900, p. 142. 



