8 



nent horn within it, and exfoliates in large irregular stripes, leaving 

 the latter with the finely polished surface, and solid, sharp, attenu- 

 ated points which distinguish them. As far as my observations en- 

 able me to judge, this exfoliation takes place only once during the 

 life of the animal, and that at the period of adolescence, immediately 

 before the appearance of the first annulus. Though it does not take 

 place all at once, nor absolutely deprive the animal of horns for a 

 certain period, it is nevertheless a true and actual shedding of these 

 organs, and accounts satisfactorily for many phjenomena which I 

 found inexplicable before making these observations. The horns of 

 the Oryxes, for instance, which in the adult state are remarkable for 

 their straightness and extreme sharpness, have the points very blunt, 

 and bent backwards, almost at a right angle, in the young animal : 

 and the Koba, or Sing-Sing, whose permanent horns are partially 

 lyrated, has the young organs nearly straight, as may be observ'cd in 

 the specimen now in the Society's museum. It is only necessary 

 to observe further, that the young horn, which afterwards exfoliates, 

 appears to be entirely the growth of the first year, though it gene- 

 rally remains a much longer time before being cast. A young Leu- 

 coryx in the museum at Frankfort, with horns eighteen or twenty 

 inches long, has the points still blunt, exactly as in another speci- 

 men, where they are only two inches long." " Now this permanence 

 or deciduousness of the horns — ^for in a general sense, and especially 

 as contrasted with the solid organs of the deer kind, the hollow horn 

 may be considered as permanent — is a constant and invariable cha- 

 racter, which has a direct and powerful influence upon the habits 

 and ceconomy of the animals. The deer kind invariably affect par- 

 ticular localities at the period of casting and renewing their horns ; 

 their manners then undergo a complete change ; from bold and da- 

 ring, they become irresolute ; they lose their flesh, abandon the open 

 hills and upland plains for the thick cover of the forests, and foregoing 

 their gregarious habits, desert their companions, and pass the period 

 of weakness in solitude and seclusion. As soon, however, as the 

 new horn acquires strength and solidity, the stag resumes his usual 

 habits, and regains his former confidence. Hollow-horned Rumi- 

 nants present no such phaenomena ; the habits and manners of the 

 same species are similar at all seasons, and the differences which we 

 observe in different species depend upon other causes, which shall 

 be developed in the sequel. The modifications of organic structure 

 which produce these different effects are too permanent and influen- 

 tial to be neglected among the characters of a natural classification 

 of the Ruminants. Nor have they been overlooked by zoologists ; 

 it may be said, indeed, with truth, that they constitute the only 

 really important characters hitherto employed to distinguish the ge- 

 nera of these animals." 



The presence or absence of horns in species or sexes has been 

 partially employed by naturalists for the distinction of genera ; the 

 importance of this character, however, in the opinion of the author, 

 has not been duly appreciated. Its efl'octs on the habits and ceco- 

 nomy of the species of Ruminants is pointed out. The gentleness 



