ON THE AJSTLERS OF A VIRGINIAN DEER. 301 



essential difference, such as to rendex^ unlikely the possibility 

 that intermediates might yet be found. 



To this subspecies there presumably belonged the well-known 

 61-inch horn in the Florence Museum, which had long been a 

 wonder to all sportsmen, who IimxI only had for comparison with 

 it the relatively short horns of U. n. niger, those of the E. African 

 JI. 11. roosevelti being still shorter. 



Bocage's Hi2}j)otrayus niger, in his papers on Angolan Mam- 

 mals, was of course also H. n. 'oariani, but his only material was 

 a single pair of horns, 51 inches in length, brought home from 

 the " interior of Mossamedes*' by Welwitsch. 



Mr. Yarian had taken great pains to secure specimens of this 

 animal, and to obtain information about its range, and it was 

 with much pleasure that Mr. Thomas had named it in his honour. 

 Mr. Yarian had also taken steps to induce the local authorities 

 to give it protection, which, in view of the considerable sums 

 given for such horns as it carried, would be much needed to save 

 it from extermination, now that its existence had become known 

 to sportsmen and hunters. 



Judging by the greater length of the skull, it would, no doubt, 

 prove that H. n. imriani not only carried longer horns, but was 

 larger in all dimensions than the true Sable. It was hoped 

 that a complete specimen of this splendid addition to the list 

 of African Antelopes would soon be obtained for the National 

 Museum, whose warmest thanks were already due to Mr. Yarian 

 for the donation of the tine trophy now exhibited. 



Antlers of a Virginian Deer affected hy Cancer. 



Mr. R. I. PococK, F.R.S., F.Z.S., Curator of Mammals, 

 exhibited the successive Antlers of a Yirginian Deer {Odocoileus 

 americanihs) that had died of cancer in the Society's Gardens, and 

 made the following i"emarks : — 



"The male Yirginian Deer [Odocoileus americanus) referred to 

 in Prof. Plimmer's report (see p. 83, 16) as having died of cancer, 

 was purchased as a young animal on Jan. 17th, 1911, and died 

 Dec. 27th, 1915. The following accurate records of its successive 

 antlers were kept dining the five years that it lived in the 

 Gardens : — 



1. The first antlers, shed March 15th, 1912, were simple snags 



about I inch in length. 



2. The second antlers, shed March 23rd, 1913, measured 



10^ inches along outer curve, were simply forked at the 

 tip ; the supernumerary tine on the back of the beam 

 measured just under 1|- inch, and the two antlers together 

 weighed 5^ oz. 



3. The third antlers, shed March 24th, 1914, measured 



9 inches, were simple, carrying no supplementary tine. 

 The two together weighed 4^ oz. 



