RUMINANTIA—CERVINAE—CERVUS COLUMBIANUS. 661 
The horns of this species, when fully formed, are quite different from those of the Virginia 
deer, and almost identical in character with those of C. macrotis. They rise from a well 
developed pedicel above and behind the eyes, and bifurcate almost equally before reaching quite 
half their length. Each branch bifurcates again near its middle; the anterior tine in each 
secondary fork is rather the longer of the two. The posterior secondary fork is rather larger 
than the anterior. Midway between the forehead and the first fork is a small tine of a few 
inches, situated a little forward of the postero-internal edge. There are thus but five points. 
The essential character, then, is that of a nearly equal bifurcation of the horns near the middle, 
and a second bifurcation of these forks in their middle, the posterior fork rather largest, and 
the anterior point largest in each. The Cervus virginianus has the same brow point, but the 
other points are all sent off from the posterior edge of the main stem, instead of bifurcating 
nearly equally. In some specimens the brow antler is entirely wanting, and it often happens 
that even in old bucks there is but a single bifurcation of the horn. In most cases there is a 
greater or less amount of warty roughness at the base of the antlers, less, however, than in C. 
virginianus. 
In some cases there is an erect snag a little above the base ; in others this is wanting. Some- 
times there is only one fork ; sometimes one branch of one or other fork is wanting, leaving but 
three terminal points. 
The hair in the winter coats is shorter, thinner, and considerably finer than in C. virginianus, 
and lies very close to the skin. ; 
The general color of this deer in winter is a yellowish chestnut, finely mottled with black. 
This black is concentrated and intensified along the dorsal line, so as to produce an appreciable 
and broad streak from the occiput to near the root of the tail, less distinct in some, however, 
than in others. The neck all round and the exterior of the thighs and shoulders and the sides 
are much like the back, but rather lighter. The under parts, from between the legs to the 
umbilicus, are mottled like the back, with a strong sooty tinge on the chest. Towards the 
navel, however, this mottling is confined to the ventral line, on each side of which is a lighter 
region, separating it from the colors of the flanks. The axillae and upper half of the inside of 
the fore leg, the posterior part of the belly, and the inside of the thighs, are white. The lower 
half of the legs is of a chestnut tinge, (lightest inside,) lighter than the back, and without 
any black. 
In the head the chestnut tints are more or less replaced by grayish, especially on the ears 
and upper part of the muzzle. The top of the head is chestnut and black, but there is a very 
decided dark stripe over each eye, converging anteriorly, and meeting in the middle of the fore- 
head. The end of the chin and the sides of the naked mufile are white; behind this is a black 
patch, crossing and involving the posterior half of the muffle and passing round on the chin, 
where it is most distinct on the edges of the lips. In some cases it forms a more or less obsolete 
border only to the white of the apex of the chin, occasionally interrupted towards the centre. 
Posterior to this dusky circle on the chin is a space similar to and continuous with the light 
mottled chestnut of the side of the head ; behind this, for a space corresponding with the area 
between the rami of the lower jaw, the color is a dirty white, as are also the concavity of the 
ear and the base of the ear posteriorly, and extending a little way up. 
The tail is entirely covered with hair, uniform jet black above, except near the base, where it 
