230 Mr. J. E. Gray on the Hollow-horned Ruminants. 



groups ; and I think that if the Antelopes are divided into two 

 groups, which appear to me natural, then there is no difficulty in 

 finding neat characters for the definitions of the families. 



I. The horns round or compressed, without any raised keel on 

 the inner front angle. 



1. The horns smoothish, spread out on the sides, cylindrical 

 or depressed at the base, the knee (or wrist) below the middle of 

 the fore-leg — Bovece. 



2. The horns conical, bent back, cylindrical or compressed, and 

 ringed at the base, the knee (or wrist) in the middle of the fore- 

 leg — Antilopece. 



II. The horns subangular with a more or less distinct ridge 

 on the front angle, the knee in the middle of the fore-leg. 



3. The horns subspiral, erect ; tear-bag distinct ; forehead flat ; 

 male not bearded — Strepsicerea. 



4. The horns recurved, compressed ; tear-bag none ; forehead 

 concave ; male bearded — Caprece. 



5. The horns spiral, bent out on the sides ; tear-bag none ; 

 forehead convex; male not bearded — Ovea. 



The position of the knee is the external mark of the shortness 

 of the cannon bone, compared with the length of the ulna or 

 fore-arm bone. 



The Bovece consist of the genera Bos, Bibos, Bison, Bubalus 

 and Anoa, with a naked moist muffle, and Poephagus and Ovibos 

 with a hairy ovine muzzle. 



These genera are well distinguished by the form of the inter- 

 maxillaries. In Poephagus (grunniens), Bibos (frontatus and 

 Gour), and in Bison [Urus], they are short, triangular, acute be- 

 hind, and not reaching to the nasal, being gradually shorter in 

 proportion from Poephagus to Bison. In Bos [Taurus) and 

 Bubalus (Buffelus and Caffer) they are elongate, reaching to the 

 suture between the nasal and cheek-bone, and extending furthest 

 up in B. Buffelus. 



The Strepsicerets are peculiar for being the only hollow-horned 

 ruminants which are marked with white streaks or spots ; they 

 consist of the genera Portax from India, Strepsiceros, Boselaphus 

 and Tragelaphus from Africa ; the three former have ovine and 

 the last a naked moist nose. 



The Caprece consist of three genera, Hemitragus with a moist 

 muffle, Ibex and Capra with an ovine hairy one ; and Ovece con- 

 sists only of the genus Ovis. It may be remarked that the keel 

 of the horns of these animals, and especially of the Goats, is on 

 the inner part of the front edge of the horns ; but in the Mar- 

 bur or Snake-eater of Affghanistan the strongest keel which forms 



