OXEN. 93 



The families contained in this large and important group 

 are: 



1. The Bovida (Cases 15 to 20), with simple, hollow, non-deci- 

 duous horns, supported by a long conical process of the frontal 

 bone of the skull. Their teeth are as a rule longer than those of 

 the Cervidce, the "neck" of the molars being hidden beneath the 

 bone; canine teeth are invariably absent. 



The Oxen are represented, in the centre of the Gallery, by 

 skeletons of a Piedmontese Bull from Tuscany; of a Buffalo 

 from Assam (Bos bubalus) ; of the South- and Central-African 

 Buffaloes (Bos caffer and centralis), of the Gour and Gayal 

 (Bos gaurus and frontalis), and of the European and American 

 Bisons (Bos bonasus and americanus), placed side by side for the 

 sake of comparison. Besides these a skeleton of the Banteng 

 (Bos sondaicus) and one of the Anoa (Anoa depressicornis) , and 

 numerous skulls and horns, are exhibited in Case 16. 



Of the Musk-Ox (Ovibos moschatus], male and female skeletons 

 are placed in Case 16, and several separate skulls and horns both 

 here and on the top of Case 11. 



Of the beautiful group of the Antelopes, the horns are exhibited 

 along the tops of Cases 11 to 18, while of the skeletons the follow- 

 ing deserve mention : 



the Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) ; the Sing-Sing Ante- 

 lope (Kobus defassus) ; the Leucoryx (Oryx leucoryx); the Saiga 

 (Saiga tartarica); the Chamois (Rupicapra tragas)jboth male and 

 female. 



the Kudu (Strcpsiceros kudu), which has proportionately the 

 largest cervical vertebrae of all Mammals. 



the Eland (Oreas canna). (Recess between Cases 20 and 21.) 

 Of the Sheep and Goats the mounted horns are placed on Cases 

 19 to 24, while within the Cases there are skulls and skeletons of 

 several of the different forms, such as the Wild Goat (Capra 

 agagrus), the Common Sheep (Ovis aries), Marco Polo's Sheep 

 (Ovis poli), the Barbary Sheep (Ammotragm tragelaphus) , Rocky- 

 Mountain Goat (Haplocerus montanus), &c. 



2. The family Antilocaprida is represented, in Case 19, Div. F, 

 by a skeleton and several skulls of its only member the Prong- 

 horn (Antilocapra americana), showing that, although the horn is 

 itself bifurcate, yet its core remains a simple upright process of bone. 



