RUMIKANTIA. 



517 



coronal suture passing transversely across 

 the centre of each osseous expansion, from 

 side to side. The bones are easily detached 

 by maceration (at least in the younger ani- 

 mal), and when withdrawn, there is brought 

 into view an intervening sheath-like perios- 

 teum, which can also be separated from the 

 concavity at the base of the horn. This cup- 

 shaped hollow, owing to the colamnar dis- 

 position of the osseous laminae, and the very 

 numerous perforations for the passage of 

 nutrient vessels, presents the appearance of a 

 sieve, depressed into a conical form. Both 

 in the Cape and Nubian varieties a sexual 

 difference obtains in reference to the extent 

 to which the horns are developed. In the 

 male adults they are larger and more closely 

 approximated at the base than in the females, 

 and, according to Prof. Owen's observations 

 on the horns of the Cape Giraffe, " their 

 expanded bases meet in the middle line of 

 the skull, so that they would entirely conceal 

 the coronal suture even if it were not early 

 obliterated in this sex." * The basal portions 

 of the horns in the females are widely sepa- 

 rated. In our specimen (a Nubian male) 

 the internal and lower margins of the horns 

 remain, severaHy, half an inch apart, and the 

 interfrontaf suture is still distinct throughout 

 its entire length. In regard to the asserted 

 existence of a third horn surmounting the 

 anterior central protuberance, an examination 

 of the cranium, above alluded to, only serves 

 to confirm the extended observations and 

 conclusions of Prof. Owen on this subject. 

 We have shown that this elevation is due to 

 an enlargement of the subjacent frontal si- 

 nuses, and in this respect it resembles the 

 posterior horn-shaped apophyses. It must 

 be remarked, however, that although, in our 

 example, there is no superimposed osseous 

 deposit, there is, nevertheless, a cartilaginoid 

 thickening of the periosteum in that situa- 

 tion ; this, we can readily believe, might con- 

 stitute a nucleus favourable to the formation 

 of an epiphysis similar in all respects to the 

 true horns lately described. We have not 

 had an opportunity of inspecting the crania 

 in the museum of the Royal College of Sur- 

 geons, London, but, through the kindness of 

 Dr. Bail, have examined the skeleton of a 

 male Giraffe which died (during sexual ex- 

 citement) at the Dublin Zoological Society's 

 Gardens, and which is now preserved in Dr. 

 Harrison's Anatomical Museum. In this in- 

 dividual the central cranial eminence is not 

 smooth as in our specimen ; on the contrary, 

 it is particularly rough, owing to the deposi- 

 tion of osseous nodules, which bear a marked 

 resemblance to the irregular bony laminae 

 prolonged from the attenuated margins of the 

 bases of the true horns. If these rough 

 prominences could be shown to be separable 

 by maceration, we might with good reason 

 infer the rudimentary existence of a third 

 horn ; if, on the other hand, they are merely 

 exostoses or outgrowths (and to this opinion 



* Memoir, loc. cit. 



we incline), we think their deceptive aspect 

 offers, in some measure, an explanation of 

 the incorrect description of this structure 

 recorded by Cuvier, and the inaccurate figure 

 given by RUppell.* 



The deciduous branching horns of the deer 

 present two well-marked morphological types, 

 one group possessing rounded antlers, and 

 the other having them more or less flattened 

 and palmated. Of the former, characteristic 

 examples are seen in the horns of the Roe- 

 buck (C. capreolus} and Red Deer (C. ela- 

 phus), and of the latter, in the Elk (C. 

 alecs') and Fallow Deer (C. damas). The re- 

 markable periodical development of these cra- 

 nial outgrowths is most interesting in a physio- 

 logical point of view, and both types of struc- 

 ture exhibit the same general law of increase. 

 The male calf of the Red Deer at the sixth 

 month differs from the female of the same 

 age, in having two small elevations or " bos- 

 sets," which represent the first indication of 

 horns. These processes acquire, in the second 

 year, the form of simple unbranched stems or 

 "dags " (a, jig. 339.), at which date the deer 

 Fig. 339. 



Development of the horns in the Red Deer. (From 



Cuvier.) 



is designated a "brocket" by the English, 

 and by the French a " daguet." The dagger- 

 like horn being shed, its place is occupied in 

 the third year by another, carrying usually 

 one, but sometimes two, and even three 

 branches or " tynes " (b, c) ; in this condition 

 he is called a " spa) ard." The horn of the 

 fourth year assumes a more complex aspect 

 (d, e), and the summit or " crown " of the 

 stem begins to spread and divide ; at this 

 stage he is styled a " staggard." At the 

 fifth year there are five OF six branches, and 

 at this period he is termed a " stag." At 

 and after the sixth and seventh years the 

 number of "tynes" is very variable', and the 

 growth of the horn being now perfected, the 

 individual is technically denominated a "hart" 

 (/). The palmated horns of the Fallow Deer 

 exhibit similar gradations of development. 

 At the second year the " buck-fawn " or 



* Atlas zu der Reise in Nordlichen Afrika, von 

 Edouard Ruppell, PI. 9. Since the above was writ- 

 ten Prof. Quekett has politely afforded us an op- 

 portunity of inspecting the crania in the Hunterian 

 Collection. The osseous nodules noticed in the 

 Dublin specimen not only exist in one of these 

 crania, but they could be partly raised from the 

 subjacent bone by the easy insertion of the finger- 

 nail under the margin. 



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