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Show 476 DR. J. MURIE ON SAIGA TARTARICA. [June 9, tioned, characterize the blade-bone as Antilopine rather than Ovine or Cervine. It is difficult verbally to define differences in the long limb-bones of animals disagreeing in size but with such similarity of construction as obtains in the subsidiary groups of the Bovidae. The relation of the segments to each other possibly is the most satisfactory test. From such a standard, in Ruminants generally, the following results appear:- Proportion of the radius to humerus, the latter equivalent to 100. 89*4 Musk-Deer. 113*0 Fallow Deer. 119*5 Llama. 101*5 Bull. 114*7 Saiga. 128*2 Gazelle. 103*4 Goat. 1 16*6 Sheep. 209 9 Giraffe. The Giraffe towers in radial length. The Gazelle, typical of the Antelopes, follows, with, however, great diminishment of the radius, yet considerably removed from Saiga, which, with the Sheep aud Deer, take an intermediate position in the above Ruminant scale. The aberrant Moschus is in extreme from the equally abnormal Giraffe. Proportion of the metacarpal to radius, the latter equivalent to 100. 68*3 Goat. 81*4 Sheep. 90*9 Giraffe. 69-6 Bull. 82*3 Musk-Deer 98*7 Fallow Deer. 80*0 Llama. 88*5 Saiga. 120*0 Gazelle. As regards proportion of cannon bone to radius, Sheep and the Saiga again occupy a middle place, and the Gazelle far exceeds these, the Cervidae, and even the long-fore-legged Camelopard. Proportion of tibia to femur, the latter equivalent to 100. 92*5 Bull. 111*3 Saiga. 120*2 Sheep. 102-4 Llama. 113*7 Goat. 123*6 Musk-Deer. 108*5 Fallow Deer. 115*3 Giraffe. 128*5 Gazelle. The Saiga, in its femoro-tibial segments, departs from Ovis, and is widely separate from Gazella, its alliances, as in the fore limb, being with Cervus and Capra. The changes in relationship of the Giraffe, Musk-Deer, and Llama are not a little remarkable. Proportion of the metatarsal to tibia, the latter equivalent to 100. 53*0 Goat. 65*4 Musk-Deer. 83*3 Fallow Deer. 59*8 Bull. 70*6 Llama. 86*1 Gazelle. 61*0 Sheep. 79*5 Saiga. 113*0 Giraffe. There is a certain correspondence between the cannon hones of the hind and fore limbs, contrasted with their osseous pillar above, in all the Ruminants selected for comparison. The Giraffe, however, presents the maximum, and not the Gazelle. Limiting m y remarks to the Saiga, it comes out, in whichever light viewed, that this animal, in the proportional lengths of its long limb-bones, has much nearer affinities to Sheep than to Antelopes. This with a certainty is the case in the fore leg, though in the hind leg it has closer agreement with Deer than with either of the said groups. |