1841.] Note on the Cervus Elaphus. 723 



distinguished from that of the Sambur, by greater elevation of the 

 frontals, between the bases of the horns, and by a proportionally greater 

 dip across the forehead above and between the orbits ; by superior 

 saliency of the orbits, and by their more advanced position in relation 

 to the entire length of the scull ; by broader nasals, less arched in their 

 length ; by wider intermaxillaries, leaving a larger nasal cavity ; and, 

 lastly, by suborbital pits of considerably less size. Of the Baraiya, 

 again, the scull and horns, in proportional size, fall fully as much (and 

 more) short of the present animal, as do those of the Sambur or conti- 

 nental type of Rusa ; and if, in reference to such details as those just 

 indicated, although there is more resemblance here than before to our 

 subject in the frontal or cerebral portion of the cranium, there is 

 even less in the facial portion, which is singularly compressed and 

 attenuated. The horns of the Baraiya, by their pale hue and smooth 

 surface, as well as by the more forward direction of the basal antler, 

 and the greater reclination of the beam, more nearly approach those 

 of our animal than do the horns of the Sambur. But still they differ by 

 a vast interval in point of size,* as well as in the technical characters 

 of having but one basal snag, no median, and several (four to five) termi- 

 nal ones. All three sculls are distinguished by canine teeth ; but they 

 have no other similar and literal resemblance. Of Cervus Wallichii, 

 I have no specimen either of the scull or of the horns ; but I have a 

 clear general recollection of the original specimen in the live state ; 

 and, with the utmost allowance for the (supposed) effects of decrepi- 

 tude, I cannot perceive any means of thus soundly accounting for the 

 deficient royal antler, or for the vast inferiority in size, nor, therefore, 

 of identifying Wallichii with our present subject. 



This animal, as it appears to me, very remarkably resembles the 

 Stag of Europe in almost all the characters of the scull and of the 

 horns, leaving indeed, as distinctive peculiarities, only superior size in 

 the horns, f and the simple Sambur-like bifurcation of their tips. 

 Greater age might possibly have given to our animal the full crown of 



* The largest horns of the Baraiya I have measured, were but 34 to 30 inches long 

 by the curve : nor are the largest Sambur horns longer ; whereas the horns of our 

 Stag measure no less than 54 in. 



t H. Smith, apud Cuvier, gives the dimensions of the horns of a European Stag that 

 were considered enormous; yet they fall short of the size of those of our animal. 



