LÖNNBERG, TAXONOMIC NOTES ABOUT PALEARCTIC REINDEER. 5 



very great size of a mounted Reindeer from the Kola Penin- 

 sula, and I felt sure that there must be some other diffe- 

 rences as well between the race thus represented and the 

 Reindeer of the Scandinavian Peninsula. I expressed this 

 opinion too, but there was no time then for further investiga- 

 tions as I had other work on hand. Thanks to the kindness 

 of Dr. Alex. Luther now in charge of the zoological mu- 

 seum mentioned, I am able to state that this Reindeer has 

 a height of 120 cm. at the withers, and of 128 cm. at the 

 loins thus agreeing quite well with Pleske's measurements 

 quoted above. With these measurements ought to be com- 

 pared the measurements of a wild Reindeer stag from Nor- 

 way (thus the typical Bangifer tarandus) viz. height at the 

 withers 112,5 cm., and at the loins 115 cm. ^ The Kola Rein- 

 deer is thus considerably larger. 



The difference is not confined to the exteriör dimensions 

 aione but make themselves perhaps still more conspicuous 

 by an examination of the skull. Through the courtesy of 

 Dr. Luther a skull of a wild Reindeer stag shot in »Torne 

 Lappmark» (thus probable in Enontekis) 1854 has been put 

 to my disposition. The dimensions of this skull are repre- 

 sented in the appended table of measurements where they 

 may be directly compared with those of Swedish and Nor- 

 wegian wild and tame Reindeer. It is very apparent from 

 this that the Finland Reindeer is larger in every respect. 



The most striking distinguishing characteristic is derived 

 from the very different shape of the nasal bones. In the 

 Finland Reindeer the nasals are very strongly elevated above 

 the adjoining maxillary bones and form an arched roof flat- 

 tened in the mesial line above the nasal cavity (fig. 3), but 

 in the Swedish Reindeer (fig. 1) the nasals are much flatter 

 and rise very little or not at all above the maxillary suture. In 

 consequence of this the height of the facial portion of 

 the skull is considerably greater in the former t han in the 

 latter, which may be seen by comparing the measurements 

 expressing the distance in a straight line from m^ to the 

 nasal suture (resp. 115, and 97 & 99 mm.), or the vertical 

 height of the skull on a level with the os suj^ramaxillare 

 accessorium (resp. 69, and 59 & 61 mm.) At the same time 



^ According to Sv. Xilsson: Skandinavisk Fauna, Däggdjuren, Lund 

 1847, (transcribed from Swedish feet and inches). 



