476 



CERYUS. 



there are some large fragments of the tipper and dilated por- 

 tion of the beam, which by their curves, constriction and 

 expansion, and fluted pattern, agree closely with correspond- 

 ing parts of the large specimen here described. They all 

 indicate horns of great size and massiveness, and hence a 

 very large species. 



The next point to ascertain is the frontal insertion and 

 direction of the horns. The well-developed pedicles, straight 

 butts, and absence of obliquity to the bur, distinguish the 

 species from all other large forms of Deer, fossil or recent, 

 in which the horns are sessile as in the Reindeer and Elk, 

 divergent from the sides of the skull as in the latter, or re- 

 clinate with oblique insertion as in the Irish Elk. The butt 

 of the beam is continued in the same line with the pedicle, 

 as far as the offset of the lowermost antler. It is therefore 

 clear that the horns were reclinate as regards the head, and 

 slightly divergent after the fashion of the Rusa group or 

 Hippelaphine Deer. 



Of the skull, which it so materially modified, in some of 

 the recent and extinct species of Deer, I know of no spe- 

 cimens that can with certainty be referred to the form here 

 described. Mr. Gunn possesses, in his rich collection at Ir- 

 stead, mutilated skulls destitute of the facial portion of at 

 least three, if not four, large species of extinct Deer from the 

 ' Forest-bed,' but the large horn cannot be referred with 

 confidence to any one of the forms in particular. 1 I have 



1 Memoranda of Crania of Cervus in Mr. 

 Gvmris collection, made by Dr. Falconer 

 for Mr. Gunn, Oct. 3, 1863.— No. 20.— 

 The most perfect is a cranial fragment 

 comprising both frontals, part of both 

 orbits, the left superciliary foramen, 

 both horned pedicles, the anterior portion 

 of both parietals, and the greater part of 

 the cerebral cavity. The open condition 

 of the parieto-frontal suture and of the 

 sagittal suture proves the individual to 

 have beeu young. The basal portion of 

 the horn is present on both sides, but 

 most perfect upon the right. The horned 

 pedicles are very short and divergent. 

 There is a fracture in front at the base 

 of the right horn immediately above the 

 bur, which -would appear to indicate that 

 a brow-antler was given off immediately 

 above the bur. The insertion of the 

 beam is very oblique, the bur exhibiting 

 an inclination somewhat like that of the 

 Irish Elk. There are two shallow de- 

 pressions on either side of the sagittal 

 suture (one on each side), bounded I 

 outwards by the secondary superciliary . 

 foramina. The species must have been 



as big as the C. Hippelaphus. The 

 horned pedicles are very short, and the 

 interval between the orbits and the pe- 

 dicle is inconsiderable. There is no 

 lateral fossa between the bur and the 

 orbits. The dimensions are : — Width of 

 frontal above the orbits, 7' in. Vertical 

 diameter of the bur (right side), 3 - 20 in. 

 Interval between the two horns, mea- 

 sured at bur, 4 - 30 in. Girth of right 

 pedicle, &\- in. 



I am unable to refer this specimen to 

 any in the British Museum or in France. 

 It appears to differ from the Deer of 

 Auvergne and Chartres. 



No. 21. — Another specimen in Mr. 

 Gunn's collection is very much like the 

 last, but with a larger portion of the horn 

 preserved on both sides. The specimen is 

 about the size of C. elapkus. The horns 

 are much less divergent than in the pre- 

 vious specimen. Each shows a fracture 

 in front, a little above the bur, indicat- 

 ing the offset of one, or two, brow-antlers. 

 It is impossible to say which. The horn 

 is terete and suddenly reclinate back- 

 wards. This specimen may correspond 



