2 2 FIELD AND FOREST. 



(p. 1 8) " the abnormal furcation of the antlers of Elaphurus davia- 

 ianus renders it extremely difficult to place that species in any definite 

 position among the old-world Cervidae." 



Several years ago, while engaged in the study of the Cervidse, after 

 examination of the numerous antlers preserved in the museum of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, as well as the illustrations in various works, 

 I was led to conclusions which may be formulated . in the following 

 definition : 



Antlers are horn-like appendages of frontal processes, peculiar to the 

 deer, developed periodically and coyicomitantly with the sexual organs, 

 chiefly in the males, either as simple spikes or with a tendency to bifur- 

 cation, especially (but not exchisively) in the direction of greatest or 

 axial growth. * 



The modifications of the antlers and their contour in the various 

 forms of the family are chiefly dependant on and determined by the 

 diverse exhibitions of this tendency, and examples of several kinds are 

 furnished by the genera Cervus, Cariacus, (also Rusa, Ruda,) and 

 Elapht/rus. 



As is generally known, in all the deer the antlers of the first year at 

 least are simple spikes. 



In Pudua, the antlers remain simple and never bifurcate. 



In Cervus, the direction of growth is continuously upward and 

 backward, and dichotomization takes place from the hindmost prong 

 of the preceding year, the antlers being differentiated, however, into 

 posterior "beams" and anterior "brow-antlers." 



The series of the illustrations of antlers of the stag of Europe, here 

 reproduced from Blasius' " Naturgeschichte der Sseugethiere Deutsch 

 lands" (1857), depict this characteristic. 



In Cariacus, the direction of greatest growth is deflected and the 

 main axis continuous subspirally forward into the homologues of the 

 anterior upper prongs of the fourth year. Rusa exhibits a similar 

 tendency. 



In Elaphurus, the direction of principal growth is upward from 

 the base and forward, and the antlers are differentiated into two 

 elements, (1) the anterior being homologous with the brow antlers of 



* The peculiar histological and developmental characters of antlers are excluded 

 as being not necessary to the consideration of the question in hand. 



