FIELD AND FOREST. 3? 



be naturally primarily differentiated into (i) those with the external 

 metacarpal bones developed at their proximal extremities, and (2) 

 those with the external metacarpal bones developed at their distal ex* 

 tremities. The geographical distribution is noteworthy. 



So far as known all the Cervidae with distally developed lateral 

 metacarpals are Arctogean (European f and North American) and 

 South American, while the Cervidat with proximally developed lateral 

 metacarpals are especially Asiatic. \ 



It still remains to be proved, however, whether this division is the 

 most natural. 



IV. Like Prof. Garrod, I have long been perplexed by the inade- 

 quacy of the binomial nomenclature to express the various degrees of 

 relationship and have chiefly availed myself of the method of dicho- 

 tomous analysis. In an article published in 187 1 * I used essentially 

 the same mode of expression as has Prof. Garrod in his recent article, 

 in the following remarks : 



"A difficult problem is the arrangement in a linear series of forms 

 so as to best express their relationship. This is perhaps most aptly 

 effected by taking, in the first place, the most generalized type known 

 (a), and following that by the one (of two or more) most closely allied 

 to it (a i), then by the one nearest to that (a 2), and thus to the end 

 of the series, wherever it may lead ', then we may recommence with 

 the one next most nearly related to (a) the first type, and project 

 another series (b, b 1 &"c). It will be evident that the last term of 

 the first series (ax) will often be much less nearly related to the first 

 term of its own series (a) than is the first term of the second series 

 (b); and, of course, that it, — (ax) the last term of the first series, — » 

 so far from being intermediate between the two (a and b), must be 

 the most remote from the first term, if we are right in the appreciation 

 of the relative affinities of the succeeding series, since both are the 

 descendants of the same original progenitor." 



V. I was incautious enough to adopt Mr. Sclater's arrangement of the 



* On Sclater's Muntjac and other species of the genus Cer-Vulus. <^ Proc. Zool. 

 Soc. London, 1874, pp. 33-42. 



■j- The European realm of the older authors (=s Paleearctic of some recent ones) is 

 of course meant. 



J The only American form is the near ally of the European Stag Cervus canaden^ 

 sis. 



