34 SIR V. BROOKE ON THE GENUS CERVULUS. [Jail. 6% 



of this form — Cervulus muntjac, Cervulus reevesi, and Cervulus 

 sclateri. Of these Cervulus muntjac has the most southern, Cer- 

 vulus sclateri the most northern, and Cervulus reevesi, the inter- 

 mediate range. This being so, analogy would lead us to look for 

 intermediate structural characters in the species of intermediate range ; 

 but such is not the case in the present instance, Cervulus sclateri 

 being intermediate in size and character to the other two species. 

 In the three species the size of the frontal and suborbital glands 

 increases in inverse ratio to the size of the species ; hence the principal 

 differences exhibited by their skulls, that of Cervulus reevesi being 

 much more compressed from above downwards, and, if measurement 

 be taken from the most outwardly projecting parts of the maxillae, 

 much wider in comparison with its length than that of either of the 

 other species. These characters Cervulus sclateri exhibits in a 

 degree intermediate between Cervulus reevesi, and Cervulus muntjac. 

 Mr. Swinhoe has sent home a young specimen * of Cervulus, which 

 he identities as the young of Cervulus sclateri ; in the upper part of its 

 back and sides it is dappled with distinct yellowish spots, this specimen 

 is stuffed in the British Museum (1620 c, Gray, Hand-list, p. 165). 

 In the British Museum there is also a specimen of a very young 

 Cervulus reevesi, said to have been sent from Amoy by Mr. Swinhoe 

 (1524 d, I.e. p. 165) : this specimen shows no sign of spots, the fur 

 being annulated as in the adult. The young of Cervulus muntjac 

 is spotted ; it would therefore appear that, in the fact of having the 

 young spotted, Cervulus muntjac and Cervulus sclateri agree together 

 and differ from Cervulus reevesi. I must, however, confess that, until 

 an opportunity offers of examining a larger series of the young of 

 all three species, this can hardly be considered satisfactorily es- 

 tablished. The skin of a very young specimen of Cervulus sclateri 

 sent home by Mr. Swinhoe, the skull of which shows only the first 

 true molar in place, being spotless, leads me to believe that these 

 markings in the Muntjacs are lost at a very early age ; it is there- 

 fore not impossible that the spotless stuffed specimen of Cervulus 

 reevesi in the British Museum may represent that species at an age 

 when the spots are lost. 



Correlated, apparently, with the long persistence of this form, I 

 find in the reduction of the number of parts remaining permanently 

 separate in the tarsal joint a more advanced stage of specialization 

 than that exhibited by any Artiodactyle, with the exception of two 

 probably equally ancient forms — namely, the simple horned Cervus 

 pudu of Chili, and Hyomoschus aquaticus. In the typical tarsus of 

 the Pecora, specialization has proceeded two steps in advance of that 

 shown in the Suinse ; the navicular and cuboid have become united 

 into one bone, as have also the second and third cuneiforms t, the 

 first cuneiform being represented by a small separate bone. Thus, 

 the typical adult tarsus of the Pecora (fig. 1 c) presents five separate 



* See P. Z. S. 1872, ^ SIS. 



t Professor Flower informs me that Dr. Kowalevsty has shown him con- 

 vincing proof that the large hone between the cuboid and internal cuneiform in 

 the Pecora represents the second and third cuneiform united. 



