10 



sound philoso])hy and the great doctrine of design forbid us to en- 

 tertain the notion that so remarkable an organ has been formed with- 

 out some special and appropriate function in animal oeconomy." 



A superficial slit, situated in a depression of the maxillary bone, 

 on either side, called by the author the maxillary sinus, is found in 

 certain Ruminants hitherto classed among the Antelopes ; its secre- 

 tion is of a thin watery consistence, and thus differs from the secre- 

 tion of the crumens. The situation of these glands, and their pecu- 

 liar secretion, induces the author to regard them as distinct organs, 

 and he doubts their coexistence with the crumens, though M. F. 

 Cuvier and Colonel Smith have reported such sometimes to be the 

 case. 



The membranous sac which opens behind the ear of the Chamois, 

 and the large gland which Mr. Hodgson describes in the nose of the 

 Chirv, are of too partial occurrence to be made available in generic 

 characters ; there are, however, two large and deep sacs, situated 

 one on each side of the udder, which are of pretty general occurrence, 

 but their function does not appear to exercise sufficient influence 

 over the animal economy to entitle them to be considered among the 

 generic characters. " The same observation may be applied to the 

 odoriferous bags attached to the prepuce of the Musk and Antilope 

 guttiirosa ; so that, upon the whole, the crumens, maxillary and fa- 

 cial glands, are the only organs of this nature which appear entitled 

 to the rank of generic characters." 



The modifications of the feet are considered as scarcely definite 

 enough to be employed for generic definitions : " the glands or pores 

 which open between the toes of many Ruminants afford much better 

 characters for this purpose, and bear a very evident relation to the 

 habits and geographical distribution of the animals. These glands 

 are of greater or lesser extent in difi'erent genera, according to the 

 nature of the localities which they frequent ; in the Gazelles, Ante- 

 lopes, Bubals, and Oryxes, which inhabit the burning deserts of 

 Africa and central Asia, they are extremely large, and frequently 

 occupy the whole interspace between the first and second phalanges ; 

 in the Sheep, Capricorns, and Tragelaphs again, which live on the open 

 grassy downs and mountains of a less arid nature, they are of a much 

 smaller size ; whilst in the Oxen, Calliopes, &c., which inhabit the 

 moist forests and swamps of tropical regions, or grassy meadows of 

 temperate climates, they are altogether wanting. 



After describing the uses of these digital pores, and pointing out 

 the great influence they have on the oeconomy and manners of the 

 animals, the author observes that he is not aware of their having 

 been noticed by any previous zoologists, and concludes by expressing 

 the hope that the employment of this and other influential characters, 

 which it is the object of this first part of his monograph to explain, 

 will be found to establish a logical, scientific, and natural arrange- 

 ment among the Ruminantia, instead of the prevailing arbitrary and 

 artificial system. 



