See also:

• PECORA (plural of Lat. pecus, cattle)

PECORA (plural of See also:

• LAT

Lat. pecus, See also:

• CATTLE (Norman Fr. catel, from Late Lat. capitale, wealth or property, a word applied in the feudal system to movable property and particularly to live stock, and surviving in its wider meaning as " chattel " or " chattle ")

cattle)  , a See also:

• TERM

term employed—in a more restricted sense—in See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place of the older See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title See also:

• RUMINANTIA

Ruminantia, to designate the See also:

• GROUP

group of ruminating artiodactyle ungulates represented by oxen, See also:

• SHEEP
• SHEEP (from the Anglo-Saxon sceap, a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages; e.g. the German Schaf)

sheep, goats, antelopes, See also:

• DEER (O. E. rigor, dfor, a common Teutonic word, meaning a wild animal, cf. Ger. Tier, Du. dier, &c., probably from a root dhus-, to breathe)
• DEER, CHINESE

deer, giraffes, &c . The leading characteristics of the See also:

• PECORA (plural of Lat. pecus, cattle)

Pecora are given in some detail in the See also:

• ARTICLE (from Lat. articulus, a joint)

article See also:

• ARTIODACTYLA (from Gr. &prws, even, and SatcrVJws, a finger or toe, "even-toed")
• ARTIODACTYLA, PECORA, TYLOPODA

ARTIODACTYLA (q.v.); but it is necessary to allude to a few of these here . Pecora, or true ruminants as they may be conveniently called, have complex stomachs and chew the cud; they have no upper incisor See also:

• TEETH (O.E. Eel); plural of tooth, O.E. top)

teeth; and the See also:

• LOWER

lower canines are approximated to the See also:

• OUTER

outer incisors in such a manner that the three incisors and the one canine of the two sides collectively See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form a continuous semicircle of four pairs of nearly similar teeth . In the cheek-teeth the component columns are See also:

• CRESCENT (Lat. crescens, growing)

crescent-shaped, constituting the selenodont type . In the fore-limbs the bones corresponding to the third and See also:

• FOURTH

fourth metacarpals of the See also:

• PIG
• PIG (a word of obscure origin, connected with the Low Ger. and Dut. word of the same meaning, bigge)

pig's See also:

• FOOT

foot are fused into a See also:

• CANNON (a word common to Romance languages, from the Lat. canna, a reed, tube, with the addition of the augmentative termination -on, -one)

cannon-See also:

• BONE (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages, in many of which it is confined to the shank of the leg, as in the German Bein)
• BONE, HENRY (1755-1834)

bone; and a similar See also:

• CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

condition obtains in the See also:

• CASE
• CASE, JOHN (d. 1600)

case of the corresponding metatarsals in the See also:

• HIND

hind-limbs . There is generally no sagittal See also:

• CREST
• CREST (Lat. crista, a plume or tuft)

crest to the See also:

• SKULL

skull; and the condyle of the lower See also:

• JAW (Mid. Eng. jawe, jowe and geowe, O. Eng. cheowan, connected with " chaw " and " chew," and in form with " jowl ")

jaw is transversely elongated . Another See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general, although not universal, characteristic of the Pecora is the presence of See also:

• SIMPLE

simple or complex appendages on the forehead commonly known as horns . In a few existing See also:

• SPECIES

species, such as the See also:

• MUSK (Med. Lat. muscus, late Gr. µbvXos, possibly Pers. mushk, from Sansk. mushka, the scrotum)

musk-deer and the See also:

• WATER

water-deer, these appendages are absent, and they are likewise lacking in a large number of See also:

• EXTINCT

extinct members of the group, in fact in all the earlier ones . They are, therefore, a specialized feature, which has only recently attained its full development . These horns See also:

• PRESENT

present several distinct structural types, which may be classified as follows: I . The simplest type is that of the See also:

• GIRAFFE

giraffe, in which three bony prominences—a single one in front and a pair behind—quite See also:

• SEPARATE

separate from the underlying bones and covered during See also:

• LIFE

life with skin, occupy the front See also:

• SURFACE

surface of the skull . The summits of the hind pair are surmounted by bristly hairs .

In the extinct 11 Sivatherium there are two pairs of such appendages, of which the hinder are large and were probably covered during life either with skin or thin See also:

• HORN
• HORN (a common Teutonic word, cognate with Lat. cornu; cf. Gr. Kipas)
• HORN (Lat. cornu; corresponding terms being Fr. cor, trompe; Ger. Horn; Ital. corno)
• HORN, ARVID BERNHARD, COUNT (1664-1742)
• HORN, PHILIP DE MONTMORENCY, COUNT

horn . In the giraffes the separation of the horns from the skull may be a degenerate See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character . II . In the See also:

• ASIATIC

Asiatic See also:

• MUNTJAC

muntjac deer we find a pair of skin-covered horns, or "pedicles, ' corresponding to the paired horns of the giraffe, although welded to the skull . From the summits of these pedicles arise secondary outgrowths, at first covered with skin, which (owing to the growth of a See also:

• RING (O.E. hring; a word common to Teutonic languages; and probably cognate with the Lat. circus, Gr. KtpKOS or KpLKOS, Skt'. chakra, wheel, circle, cf. also " harangue "); in art, a band of circular shape of varying sizes, made of any material and used f

ring of bone at the See also:

• BASE

base arresting the flow of See also:

• BLOOD

blood) eventually dries up and leaves See also:

• BARE

bare bone incapable of further growth . In the muntjac the bare bony See also:

• PART

part, or " antler," is small in proportion to the skin-covered pedicle, and simple in structure; but in the See also:

• MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority of deer the antler increases in See also:

• SIZE

size at the expense of the pedicle—which dwindles—and in some species, like the Siamese deer (fig. i), the sambar and the red deer, becomes very large and more or less branched . Owing to liability to See also:

• NECROSIS (Gr. vEKpos, corpse)

necrosis, the permanent retention of such a See also:

• MASS (O.E. maesse; Fr. messe; Ger. Messe; Ital. messa; from eccl. Lat. missa)
• MASS, IN

mass of dead bone would be dangerous; and the antlers are consequently See also:

• SHED

shed annually (or every few years), to be renewed the following See also:

• YEAR

year, when, till the See also:

• ANIMAL
• ANIMAL (Lat. animalis, from anima, breath, soul)

animal becomes past its See also:

• PRIME, PRIMER AND PRIMING

prime, they are larger than their predecessors . The periodical shedding is also necessary in See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

order to allow of this increase in size . With the exception of the See also:

• REINDEER

reindeer, antlers are confined to the See also:

• MALES

males . IV . In the See also:

• GREAT

great majority of " Hollow-horned Ruminants," such as oxen, sheep, goats and antelopes (fig . 2), the horny sheath (or true " horn ") forms a simple unbranched See also:

• CONE (Gr. Kwvos)

cone, which may be compressed, spirally See also:

• TWISTED

twisted, or curved in one or more directions, but is permanently retained and continues to grow throughout life from the base, while it becomes worn away at the tip .

Rarely, as in the four-horned See also:

• ANTELOPE

antelope, there are two pairs of horns . In many cases these horns are present in both sexes . Dr H . Gadow is of See also:

• OPINION (Lat. opinio, from opinari, to think)

opinion that the antlers of the deer, the horn-like protuberances on the skull of the giraffe, and the true horns of the See also:

• PRONGBUCK, PRONGHORN, or (in America)

prongbuck and other hollow-horned ruminants (See also:

• BOVIDAE

Bovidae) are all different stages of See also:

• EVOLUTION

evolution from a single See also:

• COMMON

common type: the antlers of the deer being the most See also:

• PRIMITIVE

primitive, and the horns of the Bovidae the most specialized . From the fact that the bony horn-core of the hollow-horned ruminants first develops as a separate ossification, as do the horns of the giraffe, while the pedicle of the antlers of the deer grow See also:

• DIRECT

direct from the frontal bone, it has been proposed to place the hollow-horned ruminants (inclusive of the prongbuck) and the giraffes in one group and the deer in another . This arrangement has the disadvantage of separating the deer fromthe giraffes, to which they are evidently nearly related; but Dr Gadow's See also:

• WORK

work brings them more into See also:

• LINE

line . Whether he is right in regarding the hollow-horned ruminants as derived from the primitive deer may, however, be a See also:

• MATTER

matter of opinion . One very important fact recorded by Dr Gadow is that calves and See also:

• LAMBS

lambs shed their horns at an See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age . The Bovidae are thus brought into nearer relationship with the See also:

• AMERICAN

American prongbuck (the onl living ruminant which sheds its horn-See also:

• COVER (from the Fr. convert, from couvrir, to cover, Lat. cooperire)

cover in the adult condition) than has generally been supposed . The above-mentioned four types of skull appendages are generally regarded as severally characteristic of as many See also:

• FAMILY

family See also:

• GROUPS
• GROUPS, THEORY

groups, namely the Giraffidae, Cervidae, Antilocapridae and Bovidae . The two last are, however, much more closely connected than are either of the others, and should perhaps be See also:

• UNITED

united . Giraffedae.—In the Giraffidae, which include not only giraffes (Giraffa) but also the See also:

• OKAPI

okapi (Ocapia) and a number of extinct species from the Lower See also:

• PLIOCENE (from the Gr. sr?eiov, mere, and xatvbs, recent)

Pliocene See also:

• TERTIARY

Tertiary deposits of See also:

• SOUTHERN

southern See also:

• EUROPE

Europe, See also:

• ASIA

Asia and See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

North See also:

• AFRICA
• AFRICA, ROMAN

Africa, the appendages on the skull are of type No .

I., and may well be designated " antler-horns." Another important feature is that the lower canine has a cleft or two-lobed See also:

• CROWN

crown, so that it is unlike the incisors to which it is approximated . There are no upper canines; and the cheek-teeth are See also:

• SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short-crowned (brachyodont) with a See also:

• PECULIAR

peculiar grained See also:

• ENAMEL (formerly " amel," derived through the Fr. amail, emmll, esmail, from a Latin word smaltum, first found in a 9th-century life of Leo IV.)

enamel, resembling the skin of a slug in character . The feet have only two hoofs, all traces of the small lateral pair found in many other ruminants having disappeared . The giraffes (Giraffa) are now an exclusively See also:

• AFRICAN

African genus, and have See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long legs and See also:

• NECK (O. Eng. hnecca; the word appears in many Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch ride, Ger. Nacken; in O. E. the common word was heals; cf. Ger. Hals)

neck, and three horns—a single one in front and a pair behind—supplemented in some instances with a rudimentary pair on the occiput . The okapi (Ocapia), which is also African but restricted to the tropical See also:

• FOREST

forest-region, in place of being an inhabitant of more or less open See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country, represents a second genus, characterized by the shorter neck and limbs, the totally different type of colouring, and the restriction of the horns to the male See also:

• SEX (Lat. sexes; possibly connected with secure, to cut)

sex, in which they form a pair on the forehead; these horns being more compressed than the paired horns of the giraffe, and penetrating the skin at theit summits (see GIRAFFE and OKAPI) . Remains of extinct speciet of giraffe occur in the Lower Pliocene formations of See also:

• GREECE

Greece, See also:

• HUNGARY
• HUNGARY (Hungarian Magyarorszdg)

Hungary, See also:

• PERSIA

Persia, See also:

• NORTHERN

Northern See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India and See also:

• CHINA

China . From deposits of the same age in Greece, See also:

• SAMOS

Samos and elsewhere have been obtained skulls and other remains of Palaeotragus or Samotherium, a ruminant closely allied to Ocapia, the males of which were armed with a very similar pair of See also:

• DAGGER

dagger-shaped horns . Helladotherium was a much larger animal, known by a single hornless skull from the Pliocene of Greece, which may be that of a See also:

• FEMALE

female . In the equally large Bramatherium and Hydaspitherium of India the horns of the males were complex, those of the former including an occipital pair, while those of the latter arise from a common base . In both genera, as in the okapi, there is a vacuity in front of the See also:

• ORBIT (from Lat. orbita, a track, orbis, a wheel)

orbit . Largest of all is Sivatherium, typically from the Lower Pliocene of Northern India, but also recorded from See also:

• ADRIANOPLE
• ADRIANOPLE (anc. Hadrianopolis; Turk. Edirne, or Edreneh; Slay. Odrin)

Adrianople, in which the skull of the male is short and wide, with a pair of simple conical horns above the See also:

• EYE
• EYE (O. Eng. edge, Ger. Auge; derived from an Indo-European root also seen in Lat. oc-ulus, the organ of vision (q.v.)

eye, and a huge branching pair at the vertex . Libytherium is an allied form from North Africa .

Whether the Giraffidae were originally an African or a Euro-Asiatic group there is not yet sufficient See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence to decide . The family is unrepresented in the western hemisphere . Cervidae.—In the deer-tribe, or Cervidae, the lower canine, as in the two following families, is simple and similar to the incisors . The frontal appendages, when present, are confined (except in the case of the reindeer) to the males, and take the form of antlers, that is to say of type No . II. in the foregoing description . As a general See also:

• RULE

rule, the molars, and more especially the first, are partially brachyodont (short-crowned) ; although they are taller in the chital (Cervus See also:

• AXIS (Lat. for " axle ")

axis) . In the skull there are two orifices to the lachrymal duct, situated on or inside the rim of the orbit . A preorbital vacuity of such dimensions as to exclude the lachrymal bone from See also:

• ARTICULATION (from Lat. articulare, to divide into joints)

articulation with the nasal . Upper canines usually present in both sexes, and sometimes attaining a very great size in the male (see fig . 3) . Lateral digits of both fore and hind feet almost always present, and frequently the lower ends of the metacarpals and the See also:

• META

meta-tarsals as well . See also:

• PLACENTA (Lat. for a cake)

Placenta with few cotyledons .

See also:

• GALL (a word common to many Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch gal, and Ger. Galle; the Indo-European root appears in Gr. xoXi,, and Lat. fel; possibly connected with " yellow," with reference to the colour of bile)
• GALL, FRANZ JOSEPH (1758-1828)

Gall-See also:

• BLADDER (from A.S. blaeddre, connected with bl¢wan, to blow, cf. Ger. blase)

bladder absent (except in the musk-deer, See also:

• MOSCHUS

Moschus) . This family contains numerous species, having a wide See also:

• GEOGRAPHICAL

geographical See also:

• DISTRIBUTION (Lat. distribuere, to deal out)

distribution, ranging in the New See also:

• WORLD

World from the See also:

• ARCTIC (Gr. "ApKroc, the Bear, the northern constellation of Ursa Major)

Arctic circle as far See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south as See also:

• PATAGONIA

Patagonia, and in the Old World throughout the whole of Europe and Asia, but absent in Africa south of the See also:

• SAHARA

Sahara, and, of course, See also:

• AUSTRALASIA

Australasia . Evidently the family originated in the northern See also:

• CONTINENT (from Lat. continere, "to hold together "; hence " connected," " continuous ")

continent of the Old World, from which an entrance was effected by way of See also:

• BERING (BEHRING), VITUS (1680-1741)

Bering Strait into See also:

• AMERICA

America . Some of the more northern American deer, such as the wapiti, reindeer and See also:

• ELK

elk (See also:

• MOOSE

moose), are closely allied to Old World species; but there is also a group of exclusively American deer (Mazama)—the only one found in Central and South America —the members of which are unlike any living Old World deer; and these must be regarded as having reached the western hemis~p{nhere at an earlier date than the wapiti, reindeer and elk (see See also:

• LEER

LEER, ELK, See also:

• FALLOW

FALLOW-DEER, MUNTJAC, MUSK-DEER, PtRE See also:

• DAVID
• DAVID (a Hebrew name meaning probably beloved 1)
• DAVID, FELICIEN (1810—1876)
• DAVID, GERARD [GHEERAERT DAVIT], (?=1523)
• DAVID, PIERRE JEAN (1789–1856)
• DAVID, ST (Dewi, Sant)

DAVID'S DEER, REINDEER, See also:

• ROEBUCK, JOHN (1718-1794)
• ROEBUCK, JOHN ARTHUR (1801-1879)

ROEBUCK, WATER-DEER, &C.) . Remains of deer more or less nearly allied to species inhabiting the same districts are found over the greater part of the present See also:

• HABITAT (a French word derived from habiter, Lat. habitare, to dwell)

habitat of the family . It is noteworthy, however, that certain Pliocene See also:

• EUROPEAN

European deer (Anoglochis) appear to be closely allied to the See also:

• MODERN

modern American deer (Mazama) . As we descend in the See also:

• GEOLOGICAL

geological See also:

• SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series the deer have simpler antlers, as in the European See also:

• MIOCENE

Miocene Dicrocerus; while in the Oligocene Amphitragulus, Dremotherium and Palaeomeryx, constituting the family Palaeomerycidae, antlers were absent, and the crowns of the molars so See also:

• LOW, SETH (1850- )
• LOW, WILL HICOK (1853- )

low that the whole See also:

• DEPTH

depth of the hollows between the crescentic columns is com- Eletely visible . Most of these animals were of small size, and many had long upper canines, like those of the existing Hydrelaphus; while in all there was no depression for a gland in front of the eye . From North America have been obtained remains of certain ruminants which seem in some degree intermediate between deer and the prongbuck . Of one of these a See also:

• COMPLETE

complete See also:

• SKELETON

skeleton was obtained in 1901 from the See also:

• MIDDLE

Middle Miocene deposits of north-eastern See also:

• COLORADO

Colorado, and as mounted stands 19 in. in height at the withers . With the exception that the right antler is malformed and partially aborted, and that the bones of the lateral toes have been lost, the skeleton is practically complete . The one complete antler has a well-marked See also:

• BURR, AARON (1756-1836)

burr and a long undivided See also:

• BEAM
• BEAM (from the O. Eng. beam, cf. Ger. Baum, a tree, to which sense may be referred the use of " beam " as meaning the rood or crucifix, and the survival in certain names of trees, as horn-beam)

beam, which eventually forks .

After this there is a bifurcation of the hinder See also:

• BRANCH (from the Fr. branche, late Lat. branca, an animal's paw)

branch, thus producing three tines . From the presence of these well-marked antlers the skeleton would at first sight be set down as that of a small and primitive deer, conforming in regard to the structure of these appendages to the American type of the group . Mr W . D . See also:

• MATTHEW, GOSPEL OF ST
• MATTHEW, ST (MaOOaior or MarOaIos, probably a shortened form of the Hebrew equivalent to Theodorus)
• MATTHEW, TOBIAS

Matthew shows, however, that the skeleton of Merycodus, as the extinct ruminant is called, differs markedly from that of all deer . The most noteworthy point of distinction is in the skull, in which the facial portion is sharply See also:

• BENT
• BENT (E1. BENI)
• BENT, JAMES THEODORE (1852–1897)

bent down on the posterior basal axis in the See also:

• FASHION (adapted from Fr. facon, agon, Lat. factio, making, facere, to do or make)

fashion characteristic of the hollow-horned ruminants (oxen, antelopes, &c.), and the American prongbuck, instead of See also:

• RUNNING

running more or less nearly parallel to the same, as in deer . Again, the cheek-teeth have the tall crowns characteristic of a large number of representatives of the first group and of the prongbuck, thereby showing that Merycodus can scarcely be regarded as a primitive type . As regards the general structure of the See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest of the skeleton, it must suffice to say that this agrees closely with that of the ante-See also:

• LOPES, FERNAO (138o?—1459?)

lopes and the prongbuck, and differs markedly from the cervine type . In the See also:

• ABSENCE (Lat. absentia)

absence of any trace of the lower extremities of the metacarpal and metatarsal bones of the lateral toes the skeleton differs from the American deer, and resembles those hollow-horned ruminants in which these toes persist . As a whole Merycodus presents a curious mixture of cervine and antilopine character . To explain these, two alternatives are offered by the describer . Either we must regard Merycodus as a deer which See also:

• PARALLELS

parallels the antelopes and the prongbuck in every detail of skeletal structure, or else, like the prongbuck, an antelope separated from the See also:

• MAIN (from the Aryan root which appears in " may " and " might," and Lat. magnus, great)
• MAIN (Lat. Moenus)

main stock at a date sufficiently early to have permitted the development of a distinct type of See also:

• CRANIAL

cranial appendages, namely, antlers in place of true horns .

The former alternative, it is urged, involves a See also:

• PARALLELISM, PSYCHOPHYSICAL

parallelism too See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close and too unifori'n between unrelated types to have been probable . On the latter view Merycodus, the prongbuck (Antilocapra) and the antelopes must be regarded as representing three branches from an See also:

• ORIGINAL

original common stock, divergent as regards the structure of their cranial appendages, but parallel in other respects . If, therefore, Antilocapra deserves to be separated as a family from the Bovidae, the same can scarcely be refused for Merycodus . But American extinct types appear to indicate signs of intimate relationship between antelopes, prong-See also:

• BUCK
• BUCK, CARL DARLING (1866– )
• BUCK, DUDLEY (1839-1909)

buck and deer, and it may be necessary eventually to amend the current See also:

• CLASSIFICATION (Lat. classis, a class, probably from the root cal-, cla-, as in Gr. icaMce, clamor)

classification . As a temporary measure it seems prefer-able to regard Merycodus either as representing a distinct sub-family of Antilocapridae or a family by itself, the latter course being adopted by Mr Matthew . Whatever be the ultimate See also:

• VERDICT (O. Fr. verdit, Lat. vere dictum, truly said, used in Late Latin in one word with its present significance)

verdict, the association of antlers—and these, be it noticed, conforming almost exactly with the forked type characteristic of American deer—with an antilopine type of skull, skeleton and teeth in Merycodus is a most interesting and unexpected feature . Merycodus was named many years ago by See also:

• PROFESSOR (the Latin noun formed from the verb profiteri, to declare publicly, to acknowledge, profess)

Professor J . See also:

• LEIDY, JOSEPH (1823–1891)

Leidy on the evidence of imperfect materials, and other remains now known to belong to the same type were subsequently described as Cosoryx, to which Blastomeryx seems to be allied . Not till the See also:

• DISCOVERY

discovery of the skeleton of the species described by Mr Matthew was it possible to arrive at an adequate conception of the See also:

• AFFINITIES

affinities of this remarkable ruminant . Antilocapridae.—By many modern writers the American prong-buck, pronghorn or antelope," alone forming the genus Antilocapra, is regarded as representing merely a sub-family of the Bovidae, to which latter group the animal is structurally akin . In view of what has been stated in the preceding See also:

• PARAGRAPH

paragraph with regard to the extinct American genus Merycodus, it seems, however, at least provisionally advisable to allow the prongbuck to remain as the type of a family—Antilocapridae . The characteristic of this family —as represented by the prongbuck—is that the sheath of the horns is forked, and shed annually, or every few years .

The cheek-teeth are tall-crowned (hypsodont), and lateral hoofs are wanting (see PRONGBUCK) . Bovidae.—Lastly, we have the great family of hollow-horned ruminants or Bovidae, in which the horns (present in the males at least of all the existing species) take the form of simple non-See also:

• DECIDUOUS (from Lat. decidere, to fall down)

deciduous hollow sheaths growing upon bony cores . As a rule the molars are tall-crowned (hypsodont) . Usually only one orifice to the lachrymal See also:

• CANAL
• CANAL (from Lat. canalis, " channel " and " kennel " being doublets of the word)

canal, situated inside the rim of the orbit . Lachrymal bone almost always articulating with the nasal . Canines absent in both sexes . The lateral toes may be completely absent, but more often are represented by the hoofs alone, supported Eon-etin-es by a very rudimentary skeleton, consisting of See also:

• MERE
• MERE, ADALBERT (1838-1909)

mere irregular nodules of bone . Lower ends of the lateral metacarpals and metatarsals never present . Gall-bladder almost always present . Placenta with many cotyledons . The Bovidae form a most extensive family, with members widely distributed throughout the Old World, with the exception of the Australian region; but in America they are less numerous, and confined to the Arctic and northern temperate regions, no species being indigenous either to South or Central America . The See also:

• HOME
• HOME, DANIEL DUNGLAS (1833-1886)
• HOME, EARLS OF

home of the family was evidently the Old World, whence a small number of forms made their way into North America by way of what is now Bering Strait .

It has already been pointed out that the Cervidae originated in the northern continent of the Old World; and it has been suggested that the Bovidae were See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed in Africa . Unfortunately, we know at present practically nothing as to the past See also:

• HISTORY

history of the group, all the fossil species at present discovered approximating more or less closely to existing types . While admitting, therefore, that there are several facts in favour of the theory of an African origin of the Bovidae, final See also:

• JUDGMENT

judgment must for the present be suspended . For the various generic types see BOVIDAE, and the See also:

• SPECIAL

special articles referred to under that heading, (R .