514 



RUMINANTIA. 



is quite distinct, being connected with the 

 spheno-palatine canal at about half an inch 

 from its orbitar orifice. In Moschus the 

 lachrymal bone is large; it does not articulate 

 with the nasal, and there is no facial cavity : 

 the foramen is close to and within the orbi- 

 tal ring (Jig. 330.). In Camelopardalis the 

 bone is moderately large and is separated 

 from the nasal in front by an interspace (fig. 

 328.), which, in the single specimen we have 

 dissected, is of a triangular form, and measures 

 an inch and a half in length, and five-eighths 

 of an inch in breadth. According to the 

 experience of Professor Owen this vacant 

 space is invariably present, though not always 

 equally conspicuous. At the orbital ring, 

 midway between the frontal and maxillary 

 lines of articulation, there juts out a small 

 tuberosity, which is bounded on either side 

 by a shallow groove ; and from this point the 

 bone is carried downwards and backwards to 

 form, in conjunction with the molar protuber- 

 ance of the maxillary and the inner border of 

 the malar bone, a shelf-like floor to the an- 

 terior half of the orbit. In the specimen 

 just mentioned there exists but one lachrymal 

 foramen, which is of large size, infundibuliform, 

 and situated nearly an inch distant from the 

 anterior border of the orbital ring. In the 

 Stags the lachrymals are hollowed out on 

 the cheek for the reception of the special 

 suborbital glandular apparatus, and they are 

 of large size, but do not touch the nasals, 

 being separated from them by a very ex- 

 tended membranous interspace (Jig. 329.). 

 In the orbit these bones exhibit relations 

 similar to those indicated in the Giraffe ; but 

 there are two foramina, one placed on each 

 side of the lachrymal tuberosity, beneath 

 which they intercommunicate. The posses- 



sion of "tear-pits," or suborbital sinuses, is not 

 shared by all the Antelopidae, and in those 

 species in which they do occur the degree of 

 depression in the lachrymal bone is very vari- 

 able, being in some comparatively shallow, in 

 others well marked : the same observation 

 applies to the open space situated imme- 

 diately above. Respecting the absence, pre- 

 valence, or coexistence of these morphological 

 peculiarities we may, according to M. F. 

 Cuvier, divide this family into three groups : 

 in the first are to be reckoned those which 

 have both a lachrymal depression and a facial 

 interspace, such as is seen in the Gazelle (A. 

 dorcas, Pallas), the Stein -hoc (A. tragulus, 

 Licht.), and the Grys-boc (A. melanotis, 

 Licht.) ; in the second, those possessing 

 the " tearpit," but having no vacant space 

 such as occurs in the genus Catoblepas, the 

 Koba (A. koba, Ogilby), the Cambing-outan 

 (A. Sumatrensis, Desm.), the Chickara (A. 

 quadncornis, De Blainv.), the Caama (A. 

 caama, Cuv.), and the Bubale (A. buba/is, 

 Pallas) ; in the third, those having the inter- 

 space, but no depression, such as takes place 

 in the Reh-boc (A. capreolus, Licht.), the 

 Chamois (A. rupicapra, Pallas), the Canna 

 (A. oreas, P. ), and the Nil-ghau (A. picta, 

 P.). The GBgosceridae have the lachrymals 

 very large and of great length, this being es- 

 pecially the case in the Sheep, where they ar- 

 ticulate with the bones of the nose(i.Jlg. 335.). 

 The Goats have usually a small open space 

 on the cheek, both of the above genera being 

 provided with a small tubercle at the anterior 

 margin of the orbit. The foramina are placed 

 within the ring and are remarkably large in 

 the Sheep. The lachrymals in Bovidae are of 

 still greater size, and very conspicuous (Jig. 

 327.); they develope prominent antorbital 



,Fig. 335. 



Skull of the Sheep, viewed laterally. (From Cuvier.) 



tubercles and have the connecting sutures on 

 the face marked by deeply toothed inter- 

 lineations. There is no membranous inter- 

 space, and the foramen, which is funnel- 

 shaped, is situated at the margin of the 

 orbital ring immediately behind the tubercle. 



The malar or jugular bones (4) do not 

 offer any very striking peculiarities. They 

 are bulky and strong in the Camelidae, and of 

 great breadth below the orbit : in the Llamas 

 they advance further forward upon the cheek 

 than in the true Camels, and the zycomatic 



