248 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



had had an opportunity of examining, with the exception of the 

 muntjak, and he thought that if npon more critical examination, 

 both were wanting on this animal, together with its having a 

 persistent horn and some other peculiar characteristics, it would 

 afford an additional motive for excluding it from the genus 

 Cervus. 



He says truly that these tufts are found at all ages and on 

 both sexes, and hence their value to determine the species of 

 hornless females, and that the horn is unreliable as being un- 

 stable and only on the males. From these tufts Dr. Gray di 

 vides the Cervidee into sections as follows : — 



1. The first has a pencil of hairs seated on the outside of the 

 hinder part of the metatarsus, about one third of the distance 

 from the calcaneum, towards the hoof. In this section he in- 

 cludes C elaphus, 0. Canadensis, C axis, C porcinus, 0. hijypi- 

 laplius, C. dama and its varieties, and C. niger, etc. 



2. In the second section, in which he includes C Virginianus 

 and its variety C. Mexicanus, there exists two tufts of hair, one 

 seated on the outer side of the hinder part of the metatarsus, 

 about two thirds of the distance from the calcaneum to the hoof, 

 and the other on the inside of the hock or heel. In this sec- 

 tion would also be included C. maerotis and 0. Columbianus, 

 although the outside tufts differ very widely in extent and loca- 

 tion from C Virginianus, as we shall hereafter explain. 



3. The third section comprises those which have a distinct tuft 

 inside the hock and none on the outside of the metatarsus. Dr. 

 Gray found this on two species from Demerara and one allied 

 species fi'om South America. He thought he could discern the 

 internal tuft on the reindeer in the Society's museum, but no 

 trace of one on the outside of the metatarsus, which was covered 

 by a very uniform thick coat of hair. In this section would be 

 included our moose and caribou, as we shall presently see, and 

 also my diminutive Acapulco deer.. 



4. Of the fourth section he speaks with doubt, but assigns to 

 it the European elk, Cervus aloes, on which he found distinct 

 tufts on the inside of the hock and on the outside of the meta- 

 tarsus, about one third of its length from the heel, as in the first 

 section, but of the existence of the latter tuft he is by no means 

 certain on account of the age and state of the specimen. 



I must say that I have carefully examined the Swedish elk, 

 and am enabled to say that there is no tuft of hair on the out- 

 side of the hind legs, and that the metatarsal gland is entirely 



