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HORNLESS DEER 
CHAPTER IV 
The Deerlet 
FIRST glance at the little creature known as the 
Chevrotain or “deerlet’? (Tvagulus meminna) 
would not establish a definite idea in the mind as to 
its exact position in the animal kingdom. It is not 
unsuggestive of one of the long legged rodents, such 
as the agouti; it has also a slight hint of a marsupial 
about it. The hornless head seems to forbid its 
association with the group to which its feet evidently 
and certainly ally it. The fact of the matter is that 
the hesitation caused by the undeerlike aspect of 
Tragulus is perfectly reasonable, inasmuch as the 
creature is not definitely a deer though nearer to those 
animals than to any other group. It will be observed 
that the feet are four-toed, though the two middle 
toes have the preponderance and are symmetrical in 
themselves as are those of the deer. The toes, indeed, 
are perfect pig’s trotters. We understand by a pig 
a beast of obese not to say ponderous build; while 
the slenderness and agility of a deer is proverbial. In 
the person of Tvagulus we have a mingling of the two 
groups, and there is little doubt that in this mammal 
we have an archaic form of ruminant preserved for us. 
Its stomach is simpler than that of a true ruminant, 
and it is clear that this animal exactly fills up the 
position to be occupied by an animal which divides 
the hoof and does not chew the cud. Its small size 
is in accord with such a placing at the base of the Artio- 
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