718 MR.A.D.BARTLETT ON THE AMERICAN PRONGBUCK. [ Nov. 28, 
while the females in this respect agree more closely with one another. 
On the strength of this consideration I am inclined to presume that 
all the larger examples of the bones of Pezophaps or Didus solitarius 
are those of adult males; while all the smaller ones, among which there 
is not the same remarkable difference of size, are those of females. 
I have further to remark that, during the late visit of Professor 
Steenstrup to this country, I had the opportunity of showing the 
present collection of bones to that eminent naturalist ; and that he 
corroborated an opinion I had already formed, namely, that these 
specimens bear undoubted traces of the birds to which they belonged 
having been eaten by men or predatory animals. Professor Steen- 
strup has enjoyed such extraordinary opportunities of examining the 
remains found in the kitchen-middens of his own country, that his 
judgment on this point is hardly to be questioned. I much wish I 
was not compelled to come to this conclusion ; for, if it be so, the 
experience of the Danish archzontologists shows that the chances 
of obtaining, I will not say a complete skeleton, but such a series as 
would contain a perfect specimen of every bone in the skeleton, are 
very much diminished, since some bones there are which, I believe, 
are never found under these circumstances. I confidently look for- 
ward, however, to receiving before very long a still larger collection 
of Didine bones from the Mascarene Islands, and in that expectation 
I forbear to enter into any detailed description of the examples now 
exhibited ; for I hope that with increased material ia my hands there 
may be submitted to the Society a paper upon them suitable for 
publication in our ‘ Transactions.’ 
16. REMARKS UPON THE AFFINITIES OF THE PRONGBUCK (AN- 
TILOCAPRA AMERICANA). By A. D. Barriett, SupEeRIN- 
TENDENT OF THE SOCIETY’s GARDENS. 
Notwithstanding that this remarkable animal has been the subject 
of considerable notice, I believe few naturalists have felt perfectly 
satisfied with its supposed affinities; none, however, appear to have 
hesitated to place it among the hollow-horned Ruminants. Once 
there, its most interesting structure and economy were altogether over- 
looked and unsuspected. No writer that I can find, has ever stated 
that this animal carries deciduous horns. This character has always 
been considered to belong exclusively to the Cervine group of Rumi- 
nants ; and however much the Pronghorn differed from the Antelopes, 
still it has been retained among them upon this supposed distinctive 
character. I will now endeavour to prove that this animal’s affinities 
are closer to the genus Cervus, to which I think it more nearly allied, 
than to the Antelopes. Although it does possess to a great extent 
the characteristics of the hollow-horned Ruminants, still I think I 
shall be able to show that the horns of the Prongbuck are a modifi- 
cation of the horns of Cervus, with a strong resemblance to and in- 
termediate character approaching the hollow-horned Ruminants’. In 
support of this statement, I adduce the fact that the Prongbuck 
