ORDER RUMINANTIA. 287 



the Hudson's Bay Company, transmitted by Major Long to 

 the government of the United States, and inserted by Dr. 

 Harlan in his Fauna Americana in 1824 *. 



The various locations where this species has been placed 

 in systematic catalogues, shew that the anomalous mix- 

 ture of characters in the animal, demand at least a sub- 

 ordinate division, somewhere intermediate between the 

 Antelopes and Caprae. While the structure of the horns 

 is held as a chief character for the larger division of the 

 genera, no alternative remains, and our proposed sub- 

 genus, or racemus Aplocerus must be derived from the Anti- 

 lopinae : for the compact structure, ovine or caprine chaf- 

 fron, and presence of wool on the body, are characters 

 found, as we have seen, in others of the genus. Hence, 

 while the horns of goats are designated as compressed and 

 nodose, those of sheep as angular and spiral, the Aploceri 

 cannot range among them ; nor while the characters of 

 Rupicapra, consist in horns without annuli, but smooth 

 and striated, is that section fit to admit them. The group 

 Nsemorhsedus alone might answer, but we have stated the 

 reasons, which, for the present at least, render it preferable 

 not to unite them, and when both these groups shall be 

 better known, there is little doubt that other causes of se- 

 paration will be discovered. 



Notwithstanding the notices published since the paper 

 in the Linncean Transactions was produced, we find few 

 additional particulars to add to that description. The ani- 

 mal is equal in size to the largest sheep ; the nostrils, ridge 

 of the nose, and position of the eyes, resemble a ram's, 



* This gentleman claims the priority of description for Mr. Ord, 

 which, however singularly enough, is disproved by that able Zoolo- 

 gist himself. We have been particular in stating the dates to settle 

 this point, as with the claim is coupled the right of imposing the 

 specific name ; but that cjuestion the learned world will determine. 

 Vide Journ. of the Acad, of Nat. Sciences, vol. i. part i. Harlan's 

 Fauna Americana. Bull. Soc. Phil. 1816. Lin. Transactions, 1821. 



