Definition of Deer 3 



structure of their teeth ; all these animals having incisor teeth in the front 

 of the upper jaw, while their molars, or cheek-teeth, are surmounted by low, 

 more or less conical, or trefoil-shaped tubercles. On the other hand, the 

 members of the other groups mentioned above resemble one another in that 

 the grinding surfaces of the crowns of their hinder cheek-teeth culminate in 

 half-cylinders, of which there are usually four in each upper, and two in 

 each lower tooth, with the exception of the last, where there are generally 

 three. With this type of cheek-tooth is associated a complex stomach, 

 with at least three distinct compartments, and the function of chewing the 

 cud, or ruminating. Consequently all the members of the assemblage 

 are commonly known as ruminants. 



From this group may be eliminated the camels and llamas on account of 

 the cushion-like structure of their feet, the presence of at least one pair of 

 incisor teeth in the upper jaw, and the circumstance that the stomach has 

 but three compartments. In all the others there are no upper incisor teeth, 

 although the canines, or tusks, frequently persist, and may attain large 

 dimensions. The chevrotains, or mouse-deer, which resemble the camels 

 in the absence of either horns or antlers, are externally very like small 

 antlerless deer ; but they differ from all the existing members of that group 

 in that the stomach has but three compartments, and also by the circum- 

 stance that the lateral hoofs of the fore-feet have complete supporting bones 

 (the metacarpals) extending throughout the whole length of each side of the 

 cannon-bone, or the main bone of the lower segment of the leg. 



There now remain for elimination the giraffes, forming the family 

 Giraffida ; the prong-buck, which alone represents the Antilocaprida ; and 

 the antelopes, goats, sheep, and oxen, collectively constituting the Bovida, 

 or hollow-horned ruminants. Together with the deer, these three family 

 groups are characterised by the absence of upper incisor teeth, the presence 

 of four distinct compartments to the stomach, and the incompleteness or 

 absence of the lateral metacarpal bones supporting the front lateral hoofs and 

 their basal joints. The whole group of four families, which have many 

 other characters in common, collectively constitute the true ruminants, 

 or Pecora. It is here that the real difficulty in defining the deer tribe 

 begins. 



The Giraffidce, so far as their living representatives are concerned, are 

 very closely allied to the deer, from which they differ by the appendages of 



