136 BULLETIN OF THE 



respectively (3) tritoceres, (4) tetarloceres, and (5) pemptoceres. 

 The antlers of Cervus, Elaphurus, and Cariacus were denned 

 as follows: — 



In Cervus, the antlers have the main axis continuous in the 

 protoceres and incurved backwards, the deuteroceres are pro- 

 current and developed as "brow-antlers," and the tritoceres, the 

 tetartoceres, and the pemptoceres successively bifurcate with the 

 protoceres. 



In Elaphurus, the antlers have the main axis continued into 

 the deuteroceres, which are supra-current and bifurcate into an 

 anterior larger (and often subdivided) and a posterior smaller 

 prong, the protoceres are deflected backwards, and the tritoceres 

 are rudimentary or absent. 



In Cariacus, the antlers have the main axis subspirally excur- 

 rent into the tritoceres which generally bifurcate anteriorly, the 

 protoceres are abruptly supra-current from the tritoceres, the 

 deuteroceres arise from the inner surface of the protoceres near 

 their bases, and tetartoceres are in some (§ Eucervus) developed, 

 and in some (§ Cariacus) suppressed. 



The duplication of the prongs was not taken cognizance of. 



The author remarked that the facts thus summarized would be 

 found published in more detail in the popular natural history 

 periodical entitled "Field and Forest" for August, 1811. 



129th Meeting. October 21, IS11. 



Yice-President Taylor in the Chair. 

 Mr. J. E. Hilgard made a communication on 



STANDARD SCALES, OR MEASURES OF LENGTH ; 



in which he stated that, having had occasion lately to compare 

 with each other the two English standard yards, Nos. 11 and 58, 

 made respectively of bronze and iron, deposited in the office of 

 United States Coast Survey, they diifered by an amount which, 

 though very minute, was too considerable to be attributed to 

 original errors of comparison. These two yards were presented 

 to our Government in 1856 by that of Great Britain as exact 



