MAMMALIA. 451 



The American cariboo is found abundantly in North America, its soutli- 

 ern limit falling in the State of Maine. 



The European fallow deer, Gtvu^ dama, is represented on pi 107, ßfj. 3. 



Fams. 5 AND 6. Cavicornia, or Antilopid.e and BoviDJi;. These fami- 

 lies are characterized by hollow horns, having always developed posterior 

 toes and seldom canine teeth. The dentition is very similar to that of the 

 preceding family. The members of this family are distributed over the 

 whole surface of the globe, and some of them are the most excellent domestic 

 animals. 



The genus Antilope is the most numerous in species of the whole group 

 of ruminants. In the general form of their body the antelopes resemble the 

 deer and elk ; they are slender and swift, inhabiting rather the warm than 

 the cold zone. They have been greatly subdivided into sections, subgenera, 

 or genera, according to the various authors. 1. The horns may be annu- 

 lated, with a double curvature directed forwards, inwards, or upwards, and 

 then we have the type of the gazelle, A. dorcas {pi. 108, fig. 5), which 

 inhabits North Africa, and lives in large herds, which form a circle when 

 attacked, presenting their horns at all points. The soft expression of its 

 eyes furnished numerous images to the Arabian poets. 2. Sometimes the 

 horns are annulated, and curved three times, such as in the antelope of 

 India and Nubia. 3. The horns may be annulated and curved only twice, 

 but winding in an opposite direction to those of the preceding ones, the 

 points directed backwards ; the genus Bamalis^ of some writers. 4. The 

 horns are small, straight, or but slightly curved, shorter than the head, and 

 in the greater number found only on the male. The A. pycjnKjeus belongs 

 to this section. 5. The horns may be annulated, with a simple curve, the 

 point directed forwards, as in the section of Reduncce ; A. 7-edunca, from 

 Senegal (p?. 108, fig. 6). ß. The horns may be straight, or but slightly 

 curved, and longer than the head, as in Oi-yx. 7. The horns may be annu- 

 lated, with a simj^le curve, the points directed backwards, as is the case in the 

 blue and the equine antelope from Senegal. 8. The horns may be encircled 

 with a spiral ridge, as in the elk of the Cape of Good Hope, which is as 

 large as the largest horse, living in troops in the mountains north of the cape. 

 .The A. scripta or macalata (pi. 109, fig. 4) belongs to this section. 9. The 

 horns may be bifurcate, as in the genus Antilocapra, of all the forms of 

 hollow horns the most singular. In the male the horns are forked, com- 

 pressed, their extremities turned backwards ; the female has no horns. 

 The lachrymal holes are absent. The tail is very short. The best 

 known species is A. americana, which inhabits the vast prairies of the 

 middle and western parts of North America, where it roams in large herds. 

 The tine of the horns is about the middle of the height. 10. There may 

 be four horns, as in the genus Tetracera, inhabiting the forests of Hin- 

 dustan, 11. There may be two smooth horns in the male only, short and 

 bent forwards, as in a species from India, A. picta. 



The fossil species of Antilope are far from being as numerous as in the 

 actual fauna, and their number, although small, might be reduced by a more 

 complete study of the remains, as some of them show a great resemblance 



655 



