THE GIANT DEER. 



19 



Stehlin (110) says that a way of distinguishing the mandible of the Irish Deer 

 from that of an Elaphoid Deer of similar size is furnished, not by the dentition, but 

 by a section of the mandible. In the Giant Deer a cross-section of the mandible is 

 thick and rounded, in an Elaphoid Deer it is flattened, narrower towards the lower 

 border and relatively deep. 



(a) Measurements of Cranium.'' 





Skull of nmle, 



Skull of female. 



Skull of female, 







no. 28968 



no. 18095 



59, 1915 





(Brit. Mus.l. 



(Brit. Mus.). 



Nat. Mus., Dublin). 



1. Length from intercondylar notch to 









anterior end of skull 



47-0 



43-25 



45-2 



2. Extreme •width across zygomatic arches. 



23-4 



22-2 



21-0 



3. Transverse measurement at infraorbital 









foramen ...... 



9-25 



8-35 





4. Measurement across orbits at fronto- 









lachrymal suture .... 



18-2 



15-9 



16-7 



5. Measurement across occipital condyles . 



10-7 



10-05 



9-7 



6. Measurement across external auditory 









meatus ...... 





15-2 



16-0 



7. Width of palate, measurement taken 









external to last molar 



14-2 



13-8 



13-7 



8. Length of palate from posterior limit of 









palatine suture to anterior palatine 









foramen ...... 



21-5 



20-O 2 



19-7 



9. Antero-posterior diameter of orbit 



6-3 



5-9 



5-6 



10. Measurement between supraorbital 









foramina ...... 



12-15 



10-25 



10-95 



1 In the following tables all measurements are quoted in centimetres. 

 2 Partly by estimate. 



b. The Antlers. 



(a) Description. 



The astonishing size of the antlers constitutes by far the most remarkable feature 

 of the Irish Giant Deer. This is mainly due to the great expansion of the beam into 

 a crown or palm, which in a case mentioned by Owen measured 30 inches across. 



Of the tines, three, namely, the brow tine, the second tine and back tine, spring 

 from tke beam, tke remainder from the crown or palm. The first tine to be given off 

 is the brow tine from the anterior margin of the beam. This tine, which tends to be 

 downwardly directed as in the Reindeer, though to a far less marked extent, is very 

 variable. It may sometimes, particularly in young individuals, be simply pointed 

 (Text-fig. 3 a, c), it is sometimes forked near its termination, but is as a rule more 

 or less flattened and shovel-like, ending with three or tour short projections (cj. 

 Text-figs. 4 and 9). 



The beam early gives off from its posterior surface a tine which varies much in 

 length and point of origin, and may very rarely show a tendency to bifurcate (Text- 

 fig. 8, c, e), while occasionally it is absent. It is the only tine which normally springs 



