32 



The Mtiseum Gazette 



DESCRIPTIONS OF MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



[These descriptions are adapted for Museum Labels and they 

 may be had separately.] 



THE HORNS OF AN ELAND. 



The Eland is one of the noblest of the large family of 

 African antelopes, being almost as large as an ox. Both 

 sexes have horns, but those of the male are the larger. The 

 horns are massive and straight and stand erect in line with 

 the axis of the face. In their lower two-thirds a strongly 

 marked ridge marks a twist from left to right. 



The eland of Southern Africa is of a light yellow-tan colour 

 with a black line down its back from which pass narrow pale 

 streaks (fifteen in number) down to the belly, whilst that of 

 more central regions is of a pale fawn colour. They are 

 probably only varieties (Oreas Canna). 



THE SKULL OF A DEER. 



The skulls of deer have the peculiarities that the bony core 

 for the horn (in this case an antler) is short and ends abruptly. 

 From its extremity the antler is produced every year. On the 

 face surface of the skull, where the frontal, nasal, maxillary 

 and lachrymal bones all meet, there is an aperture. A third 

 peculiar feature is that there is at the base of the zygoma a 

 perforation for the passage of a vein from the lateral sinus. 

 In other respects the skull of a deer is like that of a sheep, ox, 

 goat, or other ruminant. The giraffe has the peculiarities 

 mentioned, and is thus to be accepted as one of the deer 

 family. Its bone cores for horns are, however, short and 

 never produce antlers. 



(To be continued.) 



