ON ANTLER-GROWTH IN THE CERVID^.. 773 



rufous-fawn with very faint traces of spotting nearly clown to 

 the fetlocks ; while from the latter to the hoofs they are dirty 

 greyish white. 



The foregoing evidence clearly establishes the right of the 

 North Rhodesian Giraffe to rank as a distinct local race ; and if 

 it be true that the one herd is completely isolated, there is 

 pi'obably no intergradation with the Kilimanjaro race. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE LXXXVI. 



Adult bull of Giraffa camelo^ardalis tliorn'icrofti. 



46. On Antler-Growth in the Cervid^e, with special reference 

 to Elaphurus and Odocoileus (Dorcelaphxs). By 

 R. L PococK, F.H.S., F.L.S., F.Z.S., Superintendent 

 of the Gardens and Curator of Mammals. 



[Received and Read June 4, 1.912.] 



(Text-figures 108-112.) 



Index. 



Page 

 Classifications of the Cervidie 773 



Mode of. growth of Antlers in tj-pical Old World Deer 775 



Interpretation of the Antlers of Elaphurus davidianus 777 



Interpretation of the Antlers of Odocoileus sp. incert 780 



Date of Antler-change in American and Old World Deer ... 783 (Note) 



Introduction. 



Most, if not all, the attempts that have hitherto been made to 

 understand the antlers of Deer and arrive at correct conclusions 

 regarding the homology of the tines have been based upon com- 

 parisons between the fully formed antlers of diiferent species. 

 This, in my opinion, is the reason why there has been failure in 

 some cases to detect homologies which study of the growth of 

 individual antlers reveals. 



The importance of this question depends upon the circumstance 

 that twenty years ago Mr. Gordon Cameron * proposed a classi- 

 fication of the Cervidfe, based upon the antlers, as a substitute 

 for the classification, founded upon the skeletal structure of the 

 fore feet, which Sir Victor Brooke had suggested f. 



To make clear the purpose of the present paper, it is necessary 

 to summarise briefly the rival classifications put forward by these 

 two authors. Sir Victor Brooke divided the Cei'vid^e into two 



* 'The Field,' 1892, pp. 265, 703, 741, 860. 

 t P. Z. S. 1878, pp. 883-928. 



Proc. Zool. Sog. — 1012, No. LII. 52 



