Artiodactyla — Oxen and Antelopes. 



57 



JBoyimb (Oxen, etc.) 



In this division are placed all those animals with curved Horns of 



the Bovid 

 or Ox-tribe. 



straight "horns," having a central hony process — or th.e Bovidse, 



Fig. C9. — Profile of skull and lower jaw of Samotlurium Boissieri (Forsyth Major), a 

 giraffe-like ruminant from the Pliocene of Samos, Turkish Archipelago. 



Pier-cases, 

 Nos.l6tol9. 



horn-core — arising from, the frontal bones of the skull, en- 

 sheathed in a case of true horn*, which continues to grow 

 slowly from the base, and wears away at the apex, bnt is very 

 rarely, if ever, shed entire. These are all included under the 

 term Bovms, embracing all the horned-Ruminants, such as the 

 Oxen, Sheep, Antelopes, &c. 



Here are exhibited numerous heads and horn-cores of fossil 

 antelopes and oxen from the Siwalik Hills of India ; and a 

 smaller series of remains of the bison from Siberia, Arctic 

 America, and from various British localities. 



AntilopiX-E. — The Antelopes resemble other Bovidce in their 

 dentition ; canine teeth are absent ; the rudimentary lateral 

 digits are not always present, but the metapodial bones which 

 support these digits are absent in all living forms. The varia- 

 tions observed in the different genera are considerable; several 

 sub-divisions have been formed, viz. : — 



(1.) The Palaotragine forms had laterally compressed horns Pier-case 

 and " brachyodont "f dentition. Pfotragoceros, the oldest known No. 16. 



* Hence they are frequently spoken of as " the hollow-horned Rumi- 

 nants " or the Cavix-ornia, from cavv.m, hollow, and comu, a horn. The 

 horny sheath when removed formed the " hollow horn." 



+ "' Brachyodont," teeth with low. crowns. 



