46 J. Cockburn — On an abnormality in tlie Jiorns of the Hog -deer. [No. 2, 



B C 



4- -5 e 



Diagram of Antlers of Deer. 



tion obtains, B being greatly reduced and C correspondingly enlarged 

 (fig. 5). In the Elaphine Deer this is carried further, the continuation 



of the beam C being divided terminally into many points (fig. 6) 



With reference to the brow-antler A, it is evident that its duplication (the 

 bez tine) is more associated with the actual size of the antlers than with 

 any other peculiarity." (This last assertion is by no means evident.) 



Although Prof. Garrod's theory satisfactorily explains the development 

 of a large number of Cervine antlers, it is powerless to explain the horns of 

 the Elaphince those of JElapliurus davidianus, Gervulus, Coassus, Sfe. 

 It is apparent that his so-called typical antler is already a complex organ 

 possessing as it does 3 tines, while there are existing species of deer whose 

 antlers never proceed beyond the condition of a simple spike, Goasaus rufus 

 for example. It therefore appears more philosophical to assume the typical 

 antler to be a simple spike, a condition which all cervine horns exhibit in 

 the first year's growth. 



Some months after the publication of Prof. Garrod's paper on the 

 anatomy of the Ruminants, Prof. Boyd Dawkins published a most im- 

 portant paper in the Quar. Jour, of the Geol. Society (Vol. XXXIV — Kead 

 19th Dec. 1877) " on the history of the Deer of the European Miocene and 

 Pliocene strata." The general conclusions he arrived at regarding the 

 palseontological history of the development of antlers are given below in an 

 abstracted form. 



