TYPES OF AXTLERS. 



comparison with those in which they are particularly complex, both methods as they ought to do, 

 leading to the same result. There are Deer as, for example, the American Brockets, David's Deer, 

 and Reeves' Muntjac in which the antler is never more than a simple dag, like that of the "Brocket" 

 stage in the Red Deer. There are others with never more than a single tyne besides the beam, 

 as instances of which may be mentioned the Indian Muntjac and the Huamel. Others, again and 

 these form an important section of the family are triply branched, as in the Spayad, the beam 

 bifurcating some distance above the brow-antler. As instances of these we find the Sambur Deer 

 of India, with its large and thus simple antlers ; the closely-allied Javan and Swinhoe's Deer ; the 

 Spotted Axis ; the Hog Deer, and the Roebuck. 



We have now arrived at the stage in which the beam has bifurcated, and almost all the more 

 elaborate forms result from an excess in the development of both, or one or other, of the limbs of 

 this bifurcation. In the Deer known as Elaphine because they more or less resemble the Red 

 Deer (Cervus elaphus) the front of these two 

 branches (the " tres ") does not increase or be- 

 come complicated, whilst from the much-enlarged 

 hind one the numerous sur-royals spring in the 

 biggest species, such as the Wapiti, Cashmere, 

 Red, and Barbary Deer, as well as the Maral, of 

 Persia. In the smaller species which follow this 

 type of structure the sur-royals are less developed, 

 at the same time that the brow-antler does not 

 split in two to form a " bez " as well, examples of 

 which are to be seen in the Mantchurian, For- 

 mosan, and Japanese Deer, as well as in the 

 Fallow Deer and its newly-discovered ally from 

 Mesopotamia. These two last-named differ also 

 in the " palmation " of their antlers a peculiarity 

 referred to further in the special description of the 

 species. 



The accompanying outline diagram represents 

 the most important types of antlers, to one or 

 other of which those of almost every known Deer can be referred, 

 tion, they may be named as follows : 



4- 5 G 



VARIOVS TYPES OF AXTLERS. 



(From the Proceedings o/ the Zoological Society.) 



To facilitate future descrip- 



Fig. 1. Riisine type. 



2. Normal Rucervine type. 

 3. Intermediate Rucervine type. 

 (A) Brow-tyne. 



Fig. 4. Extreme Rucervine type. 



5. Sub-elaphine type. 



6. Elaphine type. 

 (B) Tres-tyne. (c) Royal-tyne. 



The Rusine type (1), in which the brow-tyne (A) is simple, at the same time that the beam ends 

 in a simple bifurcation, is found in the Sambur Deer (Rusa Aristotelis) of India. The Rucervine 

 type, in which the bifurcate beam is further subdivided, tends to be prolonged in the direction 

 of the tres-tyne (B), at the same time that there is a corresponding reduction of the royal (c). 

 In Schomburgk's Deer (Rucervus Schomburgki) of Siam, both branches of the beam are equally 

 developed (2) ; in the Swamp Deer (Rucervus Duvaucelli) of India (3), the tres (B) is larger 

 than the royal (c); whilst in Eld's Deer (Rucervus Eldi] (4), of Burmah, there is but a small 

 snag (c) at the back of the enormous tres-tyne (B) to represent the royal. The Red Deer (Cervus 

 /njjii'x) (6), besides having the brow-tyne (A) re-duplicated, has the royal (c) developed at the 

 expense of the tres (B), and much divided up in well-grown animals. In the Japanese Deer (Cervus 

 sika) (5) and its allies the relative proportions of the tynes are much the same, although the 

 brow-tyne (A) is simple. 



THE ELK, OR MOOSE DEER.* 



The Elk, the largest of the family of the Cervida;, is found in North America, Northern 

 Europe, and the coldest parts of Asia, thinly scattered in all but the first-named locality. At the 



* Alecs machlis. 



