2 
sinus ; certainly the cells are not so numerous as in the thick horns of some Oxen, but they are quite as 
numerous for the relative size of the core ; and it is to be remembered that the general character of the 
horns of Antelopes is to be slender and elongated, consequently there is not so much room for cells, as 
their presence would destroy the strength of the core, so as not to form a fit support for the horns. 
Thus this character is merely reduced to one dependent on the small size or slenderness of the horns, 
which though usual is not universal in the genus, for example, in the A. Oreas and others. 
Colonel Smith, aware of this difficulty, divided these animals into two families, — CapridcB, characterized 
by having the horns " vaginating upon an osseous nucleus totally or nearly solid," containing the genera 
Antilope, Capra, Ovis, and a new genus which he called Damalis for the Antelopes with high withers ; and 
second, the family Bovidcs, with the horns " vaginating upon a bony nucleus, not solid, but more or less 
porous and cellular," including the genera Catoblepas or Gnu, Ovibos or Musk Ox, and Bos*. This arrange- 
ment shows that much reliance is certainly not to be placed on M. Geoffroy's character for the genus 
Antilope, for here the Goat and Sheep are said to have the same peculiarity as he gives to separate 
the Antelopes from them. 
Several authors after this period considered the subgenera proposed by De Blainville and Colonel H. 
Smith as genera, and divided them into families. 
Mr. Ogilby, in a theoretical arrangement of Ruminants, published in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological 
Society 'for 1836, divides these animals into two families, characterized thus: Capndce, "muffle none;" 
BodldcB, " muffle distinct, naked." Of this arrangement I need only remark, that he places Ovibos in 
CapridcB and Bos in Bomdce, Kemas, or the Jemla Goat, in BomdcB, and Capra in Capridcs, thus separating 
into distinct families most nearly allied species ; while the genus Ixalus, which is an Antelope with rudi- 
mentary horns, is referred to the family MoschidoB, and the Gnu is entirely overlooked. I am satisfied, if 
Mr. Ogilby had attempted to arrange a collection by this system, he must have soon abandoned it. 
Within the last few years, Professor Sundevall of Stockholm has proposed to arrange these animals 
according to the form of their hoofs, and he has regarded the subgenera of preceding authors as genera, 
and divided them into four families, thus : — 1. Caprina, containing Ovis, Capra, Nemorhedus and Oreofragus; 
2. Antilopina, coi^tdaum^ Antilope, Dicranoceras and Bubalus ; 3. Bomna, containing Or?/a?, Catoblepas, Ovi- 
bos, Bos, Anoa, Portax and Damalis ; 4. Sylvicaprina, containing Hippotragus, Strepsiceros, Cervicapra, Calo- 
tragus, Nanotragus, Neotragus, Sylvicapra, Tragelaplius and Tetracerus. In this arrangement he appears to 
have overlooked the fact, that the hoofs of these animals are modified according to the kind of country 
which the animal is destined to inhabit, and therefore this arrangement is dependent on that single circum- 
stance, and not on the consideration of all the peculiarities of the species : hence the species which inhabit 
rocky pinnacles, as the Thar and Ghoral {Nemorhedus), and Klipspringer {Oreotragus), are separated from 
the other Antelopes and placed with the Goats, and the large and heavy Antelopes which inhabit the plains, 
as the Oryx, Portax and Damalis, are placed with the Oxen. 
If this system is fully carried out, the Rein Deer should be separated from its allies and placed with the 
Musk Ox, and I am not certain that the Addax Antelope should not be arranged in the same group, for it 
has the same shaped hoofs, the sands of the Desert probably requiring the same structure for progression 
as the snow. 
After examining all these arrangements, and after repeated examinations of the animals, I believe that 
the form of the horns affords the most natural character for subdividing them into sections, and I think 
that if the Antelopes of Pallas are divided into two groups, which appear to me natural, then there is no 
difficulty in finding neat characters for the definitions of these families. 
1. Those with round or slightly compressed horns, without any ridge in front; as 
The Oxen (Bovece), which have smooth, subcylindrical, or rather depressed horns, bent out on the 
side of the frontal, a heavy body and strong legs, with the knee below the middle of the fore-leg ; as the 
genera Bos, Bibos, Bison, Bubalus, Anoa, Poephagus and Ovibos. 
The Antelopes {Antilopew), which have ringed, subcylindrical or rather compressed, slender horns, 
erect (or more or less bent back) from the front of the forehead, the face of the skull moderate, propor- 
tionate to the brain-cavity, which is narrowed behind, and the knee near the middle of the fore-leg. 
2. Those which have subangular horns, with a more or less distinct ridge or keel on the inner side of 
the front. They have the knee in the middle of the fore-leg ; as 
The Strepsiceres (Strepsicerece), which have subangular, slender, erect, subspiral horns from the front 
of the forehead, and the proportionably formed skull, beautifully formed head and light limbs of the Ante- 
lopes ; as the genera Portax, Strepsiceros, BoselapJms and Tragelaphus. They are peculiar for having a 
» spotted or striped body. 
The Goats and Sheep, which have a small face in proportion to the brain-cavity in the skull, and thick 
legs and heavy bodies. 
* I may remark that Cuvier says that the genus Bos has a large naked muffle ; yet two species which he 
refers to it have a hairy muzzle like the Sheep, viz. B. grmniens and B. moschatus. ' 
