I 



1910.] CUTAXKOUS SCENT-GLANDS UK RUMINANTS. 891 



above and wide below, above the base of the hoofs. The summit 

 of the cleft is arched over to a small extent by a slight web of 

 integument, and the bottom of it is closed by a strong and deep 

 web which passes forwards from the heels of the hoofs to a point 

 nearly on a level with their pi'oximal edge in front. This web 

 firmly ties the hoofs together, so that, in a living animal standing 

 naturally, they never splay apart like those of Sheep and Goats, 

 although when it rears up against anything the front hoofs often 

 spread to a considerable extent. The skin forming the interungual 

 web is folded sharply upon itself in front and passes back to the 

 heels ; its inner layer thence passes upwards only a little in front 

 of the skin of the back of the pastern, then curves forwards about 

 on a level with the joint between the penultimate and ante- 

 penultimate phalanges to meet the skin of the front of the 

 pastern in the small web described above, thus forming the 

 bottom, back, and top of the long interdigital cleft, the oritice 

 of which is almost as long as the cleft itself. The walls of the 

 cleft are only sparsely covered Avith short haii-s ; and I have 

 never detected any signs of secretion either on them or on the 

 loiiger hairs fringing the edges of the orifice or on the tufts 

 of still longer hairs overhanging the proximal portion of the 

 hoofs in front. 



The interungual web is continuously haiiy fi'om front to back, 

 though the haii'S often become somewhat thinner towards the 

 heels. The latter are well developed, and the hoofs are never 

 long, though in these two particulars they are not specialised to 

 the same extent as in Goats and Sheep, which stand rather more 

 upright than Gazelles. 



Dr. Murie long ago pointed out that the knee-tufts oi Saiga are 

 glandular. Mi-. Lydekker made the same suggestion with regard 

 to Gazelles (' Field,' March 14, 1908). This suggestion proves 

 to be correct. Tlie hairs are directed downwards, those on each 

 side of the middle line usually crossing at the tips, somewhat 

 as in the metatarsal gland of the Impala (,r^;^ce»"Os melampus). 

 The underlying skin is much thicker than that of the rest of the 

 leg ; but the thickening, accompanied by increase in size of 

 the sebaceous glands, is not abruj^t but gradual, thinning away 

 into the normal skin all round the circumference of the area. 

 The hairs covering the latter hold a quantity of scurfy secretion. 

 As a general rule, the knee-glands are covered with long hairs 

 forming a continuous pad and not showing, when undisturbed, 

 any central longitudinal line ; but in three examples of G. ckcma 

 rujicollis, now living in the Gardens, the haii'S are quite short and 

 their inwardly directed tips do not meet in the middle line, so 

 tliat the median gutter is plainly visible. 



According to Hodgson the Tibetan species of Gazelle known as 

 picticaudata has no preorbital or inguinal glands and has small 

 pedal glands on all four feet. If his account be ti'ustworthy, the 

 species differs from all the true Gazelles I have examined in the 

 absence of the preorbital and inguinal glands, not to mention the 



