704 On Various Genera of the Ruminants. [July, 



in the Deer kind and Ox kind, the subjoined sketches (See Plate) will 

 best make me understood ; and I would suggest particular attention to this 

 point as a key, as well to the mutual affinities, as to the differential cha- 

 racters of all these groups. The Antelopes are thus clearly separated from 

 the Goats and Sheep, and distributed into two groups of their own, one 

 that of the more typical genera which class with the Flocks ; the 

 other, that of the abnormal genera, which range with the Herds. — 

 I meddle not with the last named group or Bovine Antelopes (Busdor- 

 cidse) : but in regard to all the others, inclusive of the Musks whose 

 Cervine affinities are thus made palpable, I beg of you to examine well 

 the sketches and to note the signal and abrupt fall of the posteal plane 

 of the sculls in the Caprine and Bovine Families, and its gentle slope in 

 the Cervine and Antelopine Families. The Antelopine scull depicted 

 is that of the Thar, and you may thus satisfy yourself at once that this 

 type (as well as Kemas which agrees* with Nemorhcedus in this import- 

 ant point) is an Antelopine, not Bovine type. In like manner — that is 

 by attending to the form of the scull and the consequent position of the 

 cmdyles — you may obtain demonstration of the Caprine affinities of 

 Hemetragus ; and, in fact, the whole genera of these perplexing families 

 may thus be set in order. 



I now proceed to the Bovines or Ox kind. 



CAVICOllNIJE MAJORES, or, 



Bovidse or Herds. Gaudrisha. 



Hoofs cloven. Occipital plane of scull forming a large angle with 

 frontal plane. Horns hollow, persistent, sheathed, with a thick cel- 

 lular core springing laterally from the apex of the forehead. f Mufle 

 large. Front teeth, above none. Below 8. Canines none ? Molars 

 •£. Teats 4. Dewlap present or wanting. 



* The agreement is not close, so that Goral is osculant towards the Capridae. The 

 characters of both were printed by me (Journal, Sept. 1835) a year and quarter before 

 Mr. Ogilby, (Dec. 1836, Zool. Jour.) 



t These marks of the family may be supposed exclusive to the subfamily : but I ap- 

 prehend not, and that they will serve usefully to sunder the antelopes allied to Bos and 

 those not so allied, or Antelopidse and Busdorcinae. 



