E. LÖNNBERG, THE TAXONOMIC POSITION OF THE GIANT DEER. 7 



dition found in other deer, it is flattened and, when fully 

 developed, palmated in both. A back-tine is (almost) always 

 present in the Giant Deer as well as in the Rein-deer. The 

 latter is provided with a bez-tine while the second tine of 

 the Giant Deer is regarded by Lydekker as a trez-tine and 

 in this respect these two types differ from each other. The 

 bez-tine is, howevcr, subjected to great variation with regard 

 to its development even among related species of deer, and 

 in some races of Red Deer, as for instance the norwegian, 

 the bez-tine is iisually absent, and in others typically present. 

 The trez-tine is typically present in the Giant Deer. In the 

 Rein-deer it is usually, but not always, absent, just as a 

 back-tine sometimes may appear in the antiers of the Fallow 

 Deer. 



With regard to the iipper, palmated part of the antiers 

 it is to be observed that in the Rein-deer and the Fallow 

 Deer the snags are directed posteriorly but in the Giant Deer 

 anteriorly. The shape of these parts cannot consequently 

 speak for any relation between the Fallow Deer and the 

 Giant Deer. 



The antiers of the three species of deer discussed here 

 are so specialised that a complete agreement with regard to 

 their shape and structure cannot be expected. It appears, 

 however, as if a feature which otherwise is very rare among 

 Cervidoe such as the flattened and palmated shape of the 

 brow-tine should be of greater taxonomic value than the 

 more or less constant falling out of one or the other of the 

 tines, an occurence which takes place independently within 

 several different groups of deer. 



If the comparison is extended to the dentition, it must 

 be observed that the Giant Deer, unlike the Reindeer, has 

 no canines. Such an absence of canines is also shared by 

 the Fallow Deer but it is, of course, a characteristic of very 

 little importance from a taxonoöiic point of view as these 

 teeth sometimes are present, sometimes absent in closely re- 

 lated deer or even in the same species. 



The molars of the Giant Deer are short and broad. In 

 the specimen before me the measurements are as follows: 



length greatest breadth 



Last molar 30 mm. 28 mm. 



Second molar 31 » 31 » 



