1878.] ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE CERVIDJE. 883 



kept them a long time ; and not finding any one that would have 

 them, I at last sent them to Stevens's sale-rooms where they were sold 

 for a few shillings. I can assure you that these animals were not like 

 the Anoa, but much larger, and had all the appearance of a common 

 Indian Buffalo of small size. Yours faithfully, 



"A. D. Bartlett." 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Classification of the Cervida, with a Synopsis of 

 the existing Species. By Sir Victor Brooke, Bart., 

 F.Z.S. 



(Plate LV.) 

 I. Introduction, p. 883. 

 II. On the division of the Cervidae into sections larger than genera, p. 885. 



III. On the subdivision of the sections into minor groups, p. 889. 



IV. Geographical distribution, and remarks thereon, p. 893. 

 V. Synopsis of the existing Cervidte, p. 897. 



VI. Explanation of Plate LV., p. 928. 



I. Introduction. 



Some years ago I brought before the notice of the Society certain 

 pedal characters in the Cervidae (vide P. Z. S. 1874, p. 33) which ap- 

 peared to me to be of some importance ; but at that time, not having had 

 the opportunity ^of extending my observations to all the forms of ex- 

 isting Cervidae, a generalization, which I believe to be of considerable 

 taxonomic value, deducible from these characters, escaped my notice. 

 A reconsideration of the characters themselves, and an attempt to work 

 out the deductions which may be drawn from these and other esta- 

 blished facts relating to the Cervidae, is the object of the present paper. 



Before entering into the subject immediately before us, it may be 

 well to consider briefly the peculiarities common to all Deer, the 

 possession of which distinguishes them from all other mammals, and 

 which may therefore be called their family characters. 



The Cervidae, together with Moschus, the Giraffidae, and the 

 Bovidae, constitute the Pecora, one of the four distinct sections into 

 which the Artiodactyla, or even-toed Ungulates, is divisible. In having 

 (1) the odontoid process crescentic, (2) the left axillary rising from 

 the innominate artery, (3)the placenta cotyledonous, (4) the psalterium 

 added to the stomach, and (5) the outer bones of the metapodium 

 rudimentary, the inner confluent, all the members of the Pecora, as 

 Professor Flower in his exhaustive paper on Moschus (P. Z. S. 1875, p. 

 159) has taught us, agree together, and differ from the three remaining 

 sections of the Artiodactyla, viz. the Tragulina, Suina, and Tylopoda. 



So far there is little difficulty in defining the zoological position 

 of the Cervidae. That they form part of the Pecora there can be no 

 doubt ; but when the subdivision of the Pecora is attempted difficuties 

 arise which bid fair to set at defiance all systems of classification. An 

 estimate of the nature and relative value of the characters which dis- 

 tinguish the Cervidae from the Bovidae will be most clearly shown bv 

 placing them in tabular form. With Moschus and the Giraffidae we 



