476 DR. J. MURIE ON SAIGA TARTARICA. [June 9, 
tioned, characterize the blade-bone as Antilopine rather than Ovine 
or Cervine. 
It is difficult verbally to define differences in the long limb-bones 
of animals disagreeing in size but with such similarity of construc- 
tion as obtains in the subsidiary groups of the Bovide. The relation 
of the segments to each other possibly is the most satisfactory test. 
From such a standard, in Ruminants generally, the following results 
appear :-— 
Proportion of the radius to humerus, the latter equivalent to 100. 
89:4 Musk-Deer. 113°0 Fallow Deer. 119°5 Llama. 
101°5 Bull. 114°7 Saiga. 128°2 Gazelle. 
103°4 Goat. 116°6 Sheep. 209 9 Giraffe. 
The Giraffe towers in radial length. The Gazelle, typical of the 
Antelopes, follows, with, however, great diminishment of the radius, 
yet considerably removed from Saiga, which, with the Sheep and 
Deer, take an intermediate position in the above Ruminant scale. 
The aberrant Moschus is in extreme from the equally abnormal 
Giraffe. 
Proportion of the metacarpal to radius, the latter equivalent to 100. 
68°3 Goat. 81°4 Sheep. 90-9 Giraffe. 
69°6 Bull. 82:3 Musk-Deer 98°7 Fallow Deer. 
80°0 Llama. 88°5 Saiga. 120-0 Gazelle. 
As regards proportion of cannon bone to radius, Sheep and the Saiga 
again occupy a middle place, and the Gazelle far exceeds these, the 
Cervidze, and even the long-fore-legged Camelopard. 
Proportion of tibia to femur, the latter equivalent to 100. 
92°5 Bull. 111°3 Saiga. 120-2 Sheep. 
102'4 Llama. 113°7 Goat. 123-6 Musk-Deer. 
108°5 Fallow Deer. 115°3 Giraffe. 128°5 Gazelle. 
The Saiga, in its femoro-tibial segments, departs from Ovis, and is 
widely separate from Gazella, its alliances, as in the fore limb, being 
with Cervus and Capra. The changes in relationship of the Giraffe, 
Musk-Deer, and Llama are not a little remarkable. 
Proportion of the metatarsal to tibia, the latter equivalent to 100. 
53:0 Goat. 65°4 Musk- Deer. 83°3 Fallow Deer. 
59°8 Bull. 70°6 Llama. 86°1 Gazelle. 
61-0 Sheep. 79°5 Saiga. 113°0 Giraffe. 
There is a certain correspondence between the cannon bones of the 
hind and fore limbs, contrasted with their osseous pillar above, in 
all the Ruminants selected for comparison. The Giraffe, however, 
presents the maximum, and not the Gazelle. 
Limiting my remarks to the Saiga, it comes out, in whichever 
light viewed, that ‘this animal, in the proportional lengths of its 
long limb-bones, has much nearer affinities to Sheep than to Ante- 
lopes. This with a certainty is the case in the fore leg, though in 
the hind leg it has closer agreement with Deer than with either of 
the said groups. 
