564 MANUAL OP ZOOLOGY. 



Very many species of Cervidm are known, and it- is not pos- 

 sible to allude to more than two or three of the more familiar 

 and important forms. Three species occur in Britain — namely, 

 the Roetucfc, Red-deer, and Fallow-deer-, the last being a 

 doubtful native. The Roebuck ( Capreolus caprced) was once 

 very generally distributed over Britain, but is almost confined 

 to the wilder parts of Scotland at the present day. It is of 

 small size, and the horns are without brow-tynes, and -are 

 of small size, with three terminal branches. The Red-ideer, 

 or Stag ( Cervus elephus) is a much larger species, with well- 

 developed spreading antlers. The Red-deer of Britain is re- 

 presented in North America by a still larger species, known as 

 the Wapiti {^Cervus Canadensis). 



The third British species is the Fallow-deer {JDama platyceros), 

 characterised by the fact that the antlers are palmated — that 

 is, dilated towards their extremities. It is a doubtful native, 

 and is never found in a wild state at the present day. Allied 

 to the Fallow-deer is a gigantic extinct species, the Megaceros 

 Hibernicus, which inhabited Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scot- 

 land, and probably the greater part of Europe, up to a com- 

 paratively modern date, probably having survived into the 

 human period. It is often, but incorrectly, spoken of as the 

 Irish " Elk," but it is really a genuine Stag. : .The animal was 

 of very great size, and was furnished with enormous spreading 

 and palmate antlers, which measure from ten to twelve feet 

 between the tips. 



Of all the Deer, the largest living form is the true Elk (Alces 

 ' palmattts), which, is generally distributed over the northern 

 parts of Europe, Asia, and America, being often spokeg of as 

 the Moose. The antlers in the Elk are of a very large size, and 

 are very broad, terminating in a series of points along their 

 outer edges. 



The only completely domesticated member of the Cervida 

 is the Reindeer {Cervus tarandus), which is remarkable for 

 the fact that the female is furnished with antlers similar to,, but 

 smaller than, those of the males. At the present day the Rein- 

 deer is exclusively confined to the extreme north of Europe and 

 Asia, abounding especially in Lapland. Remains, however, of 

 the Reindeer are known to occur over the greater part of Europe, 

 exteridingas^ far south, at any rate, as the Alps, and occurring 

 also in_ Britain. From this fact, taken, along with many others, 

 the existence of an extremely cold climate over the greater 

 part of Europe at a comparatively recent period may be safely 

 inferred. The Reindeer lives chiefly upon moss and a pecu- 

 liar kind of lichen (LicHen rangiferind), and they are exten- 



