1870. | ANATOMY OF THE PRONGBUCK. 397 
pering forwards almost to a point, which reaches the hinder border 
of the ascending or nasal portion of the maxilla. The surface of 
the bone is smooth and not impressed for the reception of a 
crumen ; and its superior border is excluded from touching the nasal 
by the intervention of a large open space or fissure (/). 
The lachrymal of the alpine Gems answers to the above, but 
the fissure is reduced to a minimum. Most Deer have the bone 
broadly triangular and deeply sunk for the reception of the sub- 
orbital gland. The facial plate of the os unguis in the Camelopard 
is relatively small. In the Antelopes the lachrymal varies accord- 
ing to the presence or absence of infraorbital fossa and fissure ; but 
in most instances its breadth anteriorly is relatively greater than in 
the Prongbuck. 
The interspace between the frontal, nasal, lachrymal, and maxil- 
lary bones, denominated the suborbital fissure (/, fig. 6, 4), is in the 
Prongbuck, as in most Deer and in the Giraffe, a proportionally 
extensive area—differing thus from the Bovide, where it is notable 
rather by its diminutive size or absence than conspicuous by its 
dimensions. The space in question is a shallow depression floored 
by a thin, smooth, delicate osseous plate, which overlies the post- 
turbinal bone, and partly of the frontal sinuses. It has an elongate 
sinuous or f-shape, 1°8 inch in antero-posterior diameter, and 0°4 inch 
in breadth at the widest point. Its anterior horn terminates obtusely 
or in a rounded manner; the posterior one narrows more, and 
diverges considerably from its fellow of the opposite side. The 
fronto-lachrymal suture passes outwards half an inch behind the 
posterior angle of the fissure. 
Those Antelopes with a suborbital fissure have it elliptical and 
very diminished as regards length and breadth from the foregoing ; 
a few examples (Damalis pygarga, Gray, for one) have it placed far 
forwards. It is large in all Deer, and broadly triangular; but ex- 
ceptionally it is found partially lyriform, as obtains in the Chinese 
long-tailed species, Klaphurus davidianus, Alph. Milne-Edwards. 
In the Giraffe it is a large crenated-edged oval. 
The frontal, or fore part of the vault of the skull, is broad and 
remarkably flat, rising, however, a very little towards the coronal 
suture. The width between the horn-cores is from 2? to 3 inches. 
At their inner base, well forwards, is a very large elliptical supra- 
orbital foramen (s o f, fig. 6, 4), which enters quite through the 
roof of the orbit; a superficial shallow groove for a venous sinus 
passes betwixt the foramen and the lyrate supraorbital fissure. 
_ The compressed dagger-shaped horn-cores (ce, fig. 7, B), flattened 
from without inwards, thickest behind, and narrow-edged in front, 
spring well nigh directly over the orbit, and with divergently inclined 
postures, overtop the eye, the tips being 9 inches apart. They are 
each 5 inches long, and at their broadest part, or where the prong 
is given off, measure, in different crania, from 1°5 to 2 inches in 
diameter. From the lateral position whence the osseous horn-sup- 
ports start, the orbito-frontal rings are partly deprived of that 
salient configuration which essentially belongs to them. 
