MAMMALS 



315 



Virginia deer. From photograph loaned by the 

 American Museum of Natural History, 



Even-toed Ungulates. 



— The deer family are 

 the largest in number of 

 species and individuals 

 among our native forms, 

 and in fact the world over. 

 Among them are the com- 

 mon Virginia deer of the 

 Eastern states, the white- 

 tailed deer of our Adiron- 

 dack forests. All males 

 of the deer family pos- 

 sess horns which are solid 

 and are shed annually. 

 The antelopes and giraffes 

 have also solid horns, but 

 do not shed them. The bison, or buffalo, is nearly related to 

 the deer and wild cattle. Formerly bisons existed in enormous 

 numbers on our Western plains. They were hunted by whites 

 and Indians for the hides and tongues only, and thousands of 



carcasses were left to rot 

 after a hunt. They are now 

 almost extinct. 



Odd-toed Ungulates. — In 



some ungulates the middle 



toe of the foot has become 



largely developed, with the 



result that the animal stands 



on it. Such are the zebra and 



the horse, andthe rhinoceros, 



which has also the second 



and fourth toes in each foot. 



— We have, from time to 



that certain forms of life, 



the earth in former geo- 



The buffSio (bison). 'Photographed by the New 

 York Zoological Society. 



Geologic History of the Horse. 



time, made reference to the fact 



now almost extinct, flourished on 



logic periods. One type of animal which under domestication 



has become greatly improved is the horse. It is interesting 



