58 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



given a more thorough mastication before it passes into the third and 

 fourth compartments of the stomach where the true digestive process 

 begins. In all Ruminants the incisors or front teeth in the upper 

 jaw are lacking. 



Most of our domestic animals belong to families in this order; 

 viz., the Horse and Ass are members of the family Equidce; Swine of 

 the Suidce; and Oxen, Sheep and Goats belong to the family BovidcE. 

 All of these animals are descendants of wild ancestors, and the great 

 number of so-called species or "breeds" of to-day are the result of 

 artificial selection and domestication for many centuries. 



Suborder ARTIODACTYLA. Deer, Oxen, Sheep, etc. 



Family CERVID^. Deer, Moose, Elk, 

 Caribou, etc. 



Antlers, when present, solid and branched in adult; upper canines 

 usually present; at least the first molar in upper jaw brachydont; 

 lateral hoofs present in all of our species, and with rare exceptions 

 in all members of the family; lachrymal vacuity large, preventing 

 articulation of the lachrymal bone with the nasal; lachrymal duct 

 with two orifices. There are two subfamilies; Cervince and MoschincE, 

 but only the former is represented in America. In the various species 

 belonging to this family, antlers, when present, seem to represent a 

 secondary sexual character, as they occur as a rule in the male only.* 

 The Caribou and Reindeer (Rangifer) are exceptions, however, both 

 sexes usually having well developed antlers. 



Of the thirty or more recognized species and races of Cervidee 

 which occur in North America, only five are represented within our 

 limits, and of these only the Deer is found in any numbers at the present 

 time. The Elk or Wapiti has long since disappeared; the Moose and 

 Caribou, if they are to be found at all, are only of rare or accidental 

 occurrence in extreme northern Wisconsin. All the males, and as has 

 already been stated in the case of the Caribou the females as well, are 

 provided with antlers, which are solid, branched and deciduous; that is 

 to say, they are annually dropped and replaced by new and, up to a 

 certain age, by larger ones, more branches appearing year by year. 

 The antlers arc usually dropped during March, but arc soon replaced 



* In practically all of our species the female occasionally has antlers, but such 

 cases ;irc rare. 



