1632 Quadrupeds. 



been made by one instrument. It will be seen from Professor Owen's 

 letter, that he singles out the giant deer for a hypothesis of his own : 

 this is quite fair on his part, because the debate refers to them only, 

 and not to the cattle or swine : the hypothesis is that the hole in the 

 forehead was made by wrenching off the horns. This appears strange 

 even as applied to the two disputed skulls, but I shall not debate the 

 matter, because I have no doubt that I should be defeated in any at- 

 tempt I might make to show the improbability of a central frontal 

 fracture being caused by wrenching off the horns. I wish to take a 

 more general view of the case : side by side with the skulls of the 

 deer are those of bullocks, with similar fractures, and I of course seek a 

 similar solution for them ; but unfortunately, the slug or bony base of 

 the horn is still present in these skulls, so that the horns of the bul- 

 locks can scarcely have been wrenched off. Again, the frontal frac- 

 tures occur in the skulls of swine, and surely in this animal they could 

 not proceed from the same cause ! I will not however make too sure 

 of this, since I am not perfectly fearless of a hypothetical porker 

 adorned with antlers ( ' Ceratochcerus ramosissimusj, seing how valu- 

 able an auxiliary he would be in support of the wrenching hypothe- 

 sis ! But supposing the frontal fractures in all their marvellous and 

 workman-like uniformity could be occasioned by wrenching off the 

 horns of deer, bullocks, and Ceratochoeri, may I venture to ask by 

 what power was the wrenching operation achieved in those pre- 

 adamite ages ? Was it the effect of wind or wave ? Was it by mus- 

 cular exertion ; and if muscular, was the agent beast, or bird, or rep- 

 tile, or fish ? Reader ! listen ! a hypothetical rhinoceros has been 

 got up, who, with a talent peculiar to his country, is to play into Pro- 

 fessor Owen's hands, by rushing pell-mell among Milesian bulls and 

 pigs, and sticking his nasal horn into the very centre of their 

 frontals; and all this is for the purpose of showing that Professor 

 Owen's wrenching hypothesis is perfectly plausible, and in the 

 highest degree probable ! — E. N.] 



[P.S. — I have received most extraordinary letters since this matter 

 was noticed in the Preface to the 6 Zoologist.' The first of them, 

 which might really be made a fair ground for an action at law, after 

 informing me that the ultra-scientific world in general, and the 

 ultra- scientific writer in particular, are highly incensed at my 

 "having dared to express opinions at variance with those of Pro- 

 fessor Owen," actually goes on to threaten that means will be used 

 (in the words of a great civic authority) to "put down" the ' Zoolo- 



