1878.] CLASSIFICATION OF THE CERVID.E. 885 



Cervida (continued). Bovida (continued). 



phalanges of the lateral digits langesof the lateral digits wanting 



present. Exception, Cervulus. in all. 



(9) Parieto-squamosal suture (9) This suture is nearer the 

 nearer the upper than the lower lower than the upper border of 

 border of the temporal fossa 1 . the temporal fossa. Exception, 



Antilocapra. 



(10) Navicular, cuboid, and (10) These bones never all 

 ectocuneiform united in some. united. 



(11) Placenta with few coty- (11) Placenta with many 

 ledons {Oligocotyledontophora, cotyledons (Polycotyledonto- 

 Garrod 2 ). phora, Garrod). 



(12) Gall-bladder absent. 12 Gall-bladder present. Ex- 



ception, Oephalophus. 



From this table it becomes apparent that, with the exception of the 

 eleventh, none of these characters can be considered exclusively 

 characteristic of the Cervidae ; and even with regard to it, more exten- 

 sive observation is required before it can be laid down as a fixed and 

 exclusive Cervine character. But although, with this exception, none 

 of the above characters can be taken singly as distinctive of a Cervine 

 from a Bovine animal, the coexistence of the second, third, fourth, 

 and fifth in all the Cervidae and their absence in combination in 

 the Bovidce will, I think, be found universal. 



Deer may therefore for the present be characterized as Pecora 

 having two orifices to the lacrymal duct, situated on or inside the 

 orbit, lacrymal fossEe, an anteorbital vacuity, cutting off the lacrymal 

 from articulation with the nasals, the first molar brachyodont, the 

 parieto-squamosal suture nearer the upper than the lower border of 

 the temporal fossa, and the placenta with few cotyledons, 



II. On the Division of the Cervidae into Sections larger than Genera. 



I will now pass on to the consideration of the pedal characters 

 above alluded to. 



The fore limbs of all existing species of Cervidae exhibit one of 

 the two following conditions. 



(1) Two slender, short, detached, splint-like bones, the rudiments 

 of the second and fifth metacarpals (Plate LV. figs. 2, 2' and 5'), 

 situated posterior to and one on each side of the proximal extremity 

 of the metacarpal cannon (or confluent third and fourth metacarpals) ; 

 the phalanges of the second and fifth digits separated from their 

 rudimentary metacarpals by a very wide interval ; the proximal 

 phalanx of these digits (Plate LV. fig. 2 p) inferior in size to the 

 central and ungual phalanges. In Cervulus the phalanges of the 

 second and fifth digits are undeveloped. 



1 Vide Prof. Garrod, P.Z.S. 1877. p. 15. 



2 Garrod, he. tit. p. 12. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1878, No. LVIII. 58 



