84 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



particularly so. A probable distinction by which some, if 

 not all, the above species or varieties of Caribou, may be 

 distinguished from those of the old continent, is that their 

 horns are always shorter, less concave, more robust, the 

 palms narrower, and with fewer processes than those of 

 the former ; with them, they are also said to remove the 

 snow, as we have already stated to be done by the Orignal 

 or Moose, but it does not appear that this practice has been 

 noticed in Lapland. None of the Indian tribes of America 

 have as yet learnt to domesticate them. 



Fossil Rein-deer. (Cervus Guetardi.) To the rangiferine 

 group must be added the bones of an animal discovered 

 near Etampes in France, in the sand and sandstone forma- 

 tions. They consisted of a great quantity of fragments of 

 horns, which assimilated much more with those of the 

 Rein-deer than any other, but they were much smaller, very 

 slender, almost filiform, and could only have belonged to a 

 species not larger than the Roebuck. 



The Platicerine Group. 



Next to the Rein-deer follow the animals of this genus 

 whose horns are still palmated, but only at the summit. 

 They form a small group, confined to one species in the 

 existing state, but shewing in the fossil several, among 

 which is the most gigantic of the tribe, the celebrated 

 Fossil Elk of Iceland. 



The Fallow-deer. (Cervus Dama.) The horns of the male 

 Fallow-deer, or Buck, are divergent, terminated above by 

 a flattened longitudinal palm, toothed with what are termed 

 advancers; the base of the beam round, with basal and 

 median, or brow and bezantlers pointing forward. It has 

 no canine teeth, and the nose is terminated by a muzzle : 

 in size it is inferior to the Common Stag. In the summer 

 both sexes have the back flanks and thighs of a fulvous- 

 brown colour, diversified with numerous white spots. In 



