164 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



enemy. A large number of the various members of 

 the order possess horns, varying considerably in shape 

 and structure in the different groups and species 

 into which the ungulata are divided. Those of the 

 oxen, sheep, goats, and antelopes take the form of 

 sheaths which are supported by, and slip over, bony 

 cores arising from the skulls of their owners ; while 

 those of the deer, more correctly termed antlers, are 

 solid throughout and each one rests upon a short 

 bony prominence or pedicel situated above and be- 

 hind the creature's eyes. Then, again, the so-called 

 horn of a rhinoceros is of quite a different nature 

 and has no connection with the animal's skull, but 

 is composed merely of a mass of tightly-packed, 

 horn-like fibres which arise from its skin. 



In the case of wild oxen the horns are present in 

 both sexes ; although in domesticated races they 

 are frequently absent, as exemplified by the well- 

 known Polled Angus breed. As a rule they diverge 

 outwards from their bases and then project upwards ; 

 but those of the musk-ox, however, are exceptional, 

 inasmuch as they curve abruptly downwards from 

 the top of the creature's head and follow the contour 

 of the sides of the face until they reach the level of 

 the eyes, when they take a sharp upward and for- 

 ward twist. With the adult males they expand at 

 their bases into wide and flat masses, almost meeting 

 at their inner edges and forming a protecting arma- 

 ment across the animals' foreheads ; a feature which 

 is peculiar also to the Cape buffalo. It must be 

 pointed out, however, that the musk oxen are not 

 true bovines, but more akin to the goats. 



