208 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 
rence has only been met with in one or two anomalous 
cases, and to a very trifling extent, in those groups of 
Ruminants which are furnished with permanent horns. 
The generic characters of the Deer may consequently 
be clearly defined as consisting in their horns of one 
uniform structure, generally more or less branched, and 
most commonly deciduous at certain periods. It should 
however be added that these organs are found in the 
male alone, except in the single instance of the Rein- 
deer, whose female is provided with the same appen- 
dages, but of a less luxuriant growth. It is possible 
therefore that doubts may occasionally arise relative to 
the females of certain species either of Deer or of 
Antelopes, which being themselves destitute of horns, 
and their males remaining unknown, must be classed 
by a reference to those characters of general appear- 
ance by means of which a very imperfect distinction 
can be drawn between these nearly related groups. 
Characters of this latter kind are generally more easily 
comprehended by a glance at the objects themselves 
than by pages of unsatisfactory description. We shall 
therefore merely observe that the Deer resemble the 
Antelopes very closely in general form, but are usually 
more strongly made ; their legs, although slender, have 
more muscularity; and their colours are for the most 
part less vivid. They are also in general of larger size. 
But all these circumstances are subject to variations in 
the different species ; and no uniform rule can be estab- 
lished with respect to them. In other particulars, such 
as the elongated form of the head, and its frequent 
termination in a moist muzzle; the large size of their 
eyes, and the occasional presence of suborbital fissures ; 
the length of their open and pointed ears; the smooth- 
ness of their tongues; and the comparative shortness 
of their tails; there is little or no distinction between 
