266 



D E E R. 



wards, spreading outwards, and converging towards 

 each other at the extremities ; an antler at the ante- 

 rior face of the beam, pointing vertically, and furnished 

 with strong denticulations ; a spiller or antler at the 

 posterior part of the beam, divided into several small 

 branches ; these horns flatten into a sort of palm 

 from the second antler, and at their base are deeply 

 grooved and strongly tuberculated. The head which 

 Cuvier describes is that of a very old specimen, which 

 was furnished with a muzzle, but had uo canine teeth ; 

 and in these and other partkulars it appears that the 

 animal bears so strong a resemblance to the Virginian 

 deer, that it is probably only a variety, and that this 

 deer extends throughout all the temperate parts of 

 America, being subject to some variations arising 

 from differences of climate and pasture. The follow- 

 ing are descriptions of some of the museum specimens 

 of the horns. In the collection of the late Mr. Brooks 

 there was a pair of a bright golden yellow colour, 

 very robust, rising from the burr with strong pearls, 

 and" a small antler in front ; behind this, and in con- 

 tact with it, a second snag, strong, vertical, notched, 

 and grooved ; the beam then bends out at an angle, 

 horizontally and laterally, and then curves forward. 

 On the superior edge are three bifurcated snags, two 

 vertical, and the third bent forwards ; but what seems 

 to confer a decisive character on these honis is, 

 that beneath these, on the inferior edge of the beam, 

 a sixth heavy snag hangs down perpendicularly, 

 widened and flattened at the base, and evidently 

 much worn by friction, while the animal grazes ; this 

 is the character on the left ; the right is similar, except- 

 ing the extreme points, which appear to have been 

 injured in the development. In the British Museum, 

 there is another similar pair with the worn clavate sus- 

 pensal snags, but less in proportion. These two speci- 

 mens seemed to justify the appellation of Cervus cla- 

 vatus for a new species, but they are the companion 

 of several others in the British Museum. There are, 

 however, so many uncertain points in the history of this 

 species, that it must be received with much caution. 



THE LARGE-EARED DEER Cervus macrotis. This 

 is also an American species, resembling the Virginian 

 and Mexican deer, and also in some respects the 

 wapiti ; but according to the descriptions of Harlan 

 and Say, it is different. The upper part is light red- 

 dish brown, and the sides and tore part of the nose 

 ash colour ; the back intermixed with blackish tipped 

 hairs, which form a distinct line on- the neck near the 

 head ; tail reddish-cinereous black at the tip ; this 

 part is somewhat compressed, and almost naked be 

 neath ; the hoofs are shorter and wider than those o 

 the Virginian deer, and more like those of the wapiti 

 the horns slightly grooved and tuberculated at base 

 with a similar antler, as in the Virginian ; the beam 

 less curved forwards, is bifurcated near the summit 

 again divided, the anterior of the second bifurcation 

 being somewhat longer than the posterior ; the ear 

 very long, extend to the principal bifurcation, abou 

 half the length of the whole horn , the lateral inciso 

 teeth are larger in proportion to the intermediate than 

 in the Virginian ; eyelashes black ; lachrymal aperture 

 also larger, and the hair coarser, and undulated, an< 

 compressed like that of the wapiti. The species i 

 found in the most remote north-western territories o 

 the United States, and from the context of this de 

 scription it appears evident that the Guazupuco dee 

 is nearest allied to it, and that the guazuti and th 

 Virginian are clearly of the same group. 



THE LONG-TAILED DEER Cervus macrourus. This 

 pecies is described as being larger than the red deer 

 jr stag of Europe, darker in colour on the upper 

 >art, and having the belly white, the tail, from which 

 t gets its specific name, different from that of most 

 pecies of deer, is about eighteen inches in length, 

 )lack on the upper part, but with broad white mar- 

 gins, and carried erect when the animal runs. The 



Cervus macrourus. 



horns are short, and altogether of small size and flat- 

 tened, but not palmated. This species of deer is 

 described as being very numerous in the dry plains 

 near the banks of the river Kansas in North America. 

 This river is one of the western branches of the 

 Missouri, and drains by its different forks a region of 

 500 miles in length by more than 100 in breadth. 



THE GOAZUPUCO DEER Cervus paludosm. This 

 species inhabits the low and swampy regions of South 

 America, and is described by D'Azzara as having 

 horns rather large and cylindrical, terminated by a 

 fork, with an anterior antler some way up the beam, 

 simple or bifurcated, pointing forwards and then ver- 

 tical ; his muzzle is large, figured like that of an ox ; 

 the eyes large and full, with a lachrymal fold beneath ; 

 the forehead below the horns flat ; the ears terminat- 

 ing in a point ; the pedicles of the horns are one inch 

 high, and the horns about one foot four inches in 

 length, with never more than five snags ; mammae 

 four, disposed in a quadrangle ; the eyelashes black, 

 surrounded with white, which passes along the side of 

 the face, and surrounds the muzzle and the mouth ; 

 a black velvety spot in the angle of the lower lip, 

 another shading the nose on the upper ; a black trian- 

 gular one on the nose, and another between the eyes, 

 united by a dark line between them. Inside of the 

 ears, under jaw, and cheek, white ; a black spot on 

 the interval of the hoofs of all the feet, ascending to 

 the second joint ; a black band passing along the 

 breast, and another en the upper part of the tail. 

 The size of this animal is nearly the same as tbut of 



