422 A NEW DEER FROM CENTRAL AMERICA. 



the nose, in advance of the eyes, has the tips directed forwards. In all 

 species of Bovince which 1 have examined the hair immediately border- 

 ing the muffle or rhinarium is reflexed, but that immediately behind 

 has the tips directed forwards. In the horse, as is well known, there is 

 invariably a long and very definitely marked " part " iiHhe hair ou the 

 flanks, immediately in front of the hind leg. Examples of this kind 

 might be greatly multiplied, but it may suffice in this place to say that, 

 considering the constancy in the position and form of these "parts" 

 and divisions of the hair, there is, I believe, no reason why they may 

 not be trusted as indications of relationships. 



In all the species of the subgenus Cariacus I find that the hair on the 

 median liue of the head is directed backward without interruption. In 

 Coassus, on the contrary, there are in the median line two " poles," or 

 points from which the hair radiates in every direction. One " pole " is 

 on the crown, and the second about midway between the eyes and the 

 rhinarium. In front of the secoud pole the tips of the hair are directed 

 forwards to the nostrils. In C. clavatus the arrangement is that of the 

 snbgenus Cariacus, the tips of all the hairs in the median line of the face 

 being directed backwards without interruption. 



From the facts adduced it is, I think, proven that our new deer must 

 be regarded as a species of the subgenus Cariacus, with simple horns. 

 We may, therefore, consistently omit all further comparisons with the 

 various species of Coassus. There is, however, one species with which 

 our new deer might be thought to have close relationship, or to be iden- 

 tical. This is the Cerrus capricornis of M. de Saussure, described in the 

 Revue et Magasin de Zoologie.* 



The substance of M. de Saussure's account of this Mexican deer is 

 briefly as follows : While huntiug he saw, but did not obtain, a deer of 

 about the size of C. mark-amis, armed with large, curved spikes. He 

 at first considered this to be a young Mexican deer, but was afterwards 

 informed by the native hunters that it was well known to them under 

 the name of Venado cuernicabra. They also stated that it was rare, and 

 that it never had branched antlers. Before leaving the country he ob- 

 tained a single right antler, with a portion of the skull attached, which 

 he believed to belong to this species. 



His description of this antler is as follows: " II mesure 1U , 200, selon 

 la eorde de sa courbure; il est tres divergent, tres-arqu<§, et n'a qu'une 

 seule courbure qui regarde en haut et en dedans; sa base est tres-nou- 

 euse, sa couronne mediocre, et la seconde moitie de la come est com- 

 pi i mee, assez Gpaisse. De plus, ce bois n'est pas grele, cornine les dagues 

 des jeunes; il a plutdt le caractere de la vieillesse." 



That this antler did not belong to an individual of our C. clavatus is, 



I believe, quite certain. The terms " tres-divergent » and " tres arque " 



do not apply to the antlers of our species, but to the dag-antlers of C. 



virgin ian us and other species of Cariacus with branch ed horns. Further- 



*2nd ser., xn. 1H30, p. '2~>2. 



