222 



Zoological Society. 



more philosophical than those of their predecessors, and that as re- 

 gards their generic distribution, the Ruminantia remain at present 

 in very nearly the same state as that in which Ray left them a hun- 

 dred and fifty years back. 



The history of the classification of this group next comes under 

 the consideration of the author, and the views of the various writers 

 are given and commented upon, commencing with the publication of 

 the ' Synopsis Methodica' of Ray, published in 1693. The genera 

 Ovinum, Bovinum, and Caprinum, established by that author, Mr. 

 Ogilby regards as strictly natural groups, but the characters by which 

 they are distinguished, derived principally from the curvature of the 

 horns, the existence of a beard or dewlap, the number of teats, and 

 the woolly or hairy nature of the covering, he considers trivial, arbi- 

 trary, and uninnuential. 



The ' Systema Naturae' is next considered ; and although arbitrary 

 and empirical, the generic definitions of Linnaeus (the author of the 

 paper states,) possess all the logical correctness and simplicity which 

 so peculiarly characterize the genius of that great man. Though 

 neither natural nor scientific, his distribution was, at all events, ex- 

 clusive and diagnostic, in reference to the small number of Rumi- 

 nants then known. But whilst the zoology of the Ruminantia re- 

 mained thus almost stationary in the hands of Linnaeus, it was 

 making rapid and brilliant progress under the auspices of his great 

 rival and cotemporary, Buffon : even as early as the year 1764, two 

 years before the publication of the 12th edition of the • Systema Na- 

 turae,' the French philosopher had described new forms, and indicated 

 important relations among the hollow-horned Ruminants. The ar- 

 ticle ' Gazelles,' contained in the 12th volume of his great work, was 

 the most important addition which had been made to the generic 

 distribution of the Ruminants since the time of Ray, and must be 

 considered as the first monograph of the genus two years afterwards 

 founded upon it, and more formally proposed by Pallas under the 

 name of Antilope. 



The works of Pallas, Pennant, Allaman, Gmelin, Erxleben, Shaw, 

 Illiger, Lichtenstein, De Blainville, and Col. Hamilton Smith, next 

 pass under the notice of the author. 



The consideration of the muzzle and lachrymal sinus was first 

 introduced by Illiger, and his principles were quickly adopted, in 

 successive monographs by Lichtenstein, De Blainville, and Hamilton 

 Smith, to subdivide the Antelopes into something more nearly ap- 

 proaching natural groups than the old principles admitted. The 

 publication of Illiger's ' Prodromus ' may be considered therefore as 

 an epoch in the history of these animals. 



The monograph of Dr. Lichtenstein contains descriptions of 

 twenty- nine species, and these are distributed into four groups, cha- 

 racterized by the presence or absence of horns in the females, and of 

 lachrymal sinuses, the existence or non-existence of dewlap, and the 

 comparative length of the tail. But the author was in many cases 

 ignorant of the specific characters of the animals, and the compo- 

 sition of his groups is consequently faulty in proportion. The di- 



