. The infancy of animals. Animal behavior; Natural history. so THE INFANCY OF ANIMALS. HORNS OF FOSSIL DEER. A. Dicroseros elegans, Miocene, France, B. Cervus pentUici,lt. Pliocene,Pikermi. C. Ctrvus perrieri v. Pliocene, Mt. Perrier, Pay-de-Dome. After Smith-Woodward, In the Upper Miocene and Lower Pliocene we find species with antlers displaying three or four prongs, or " tines," until, in the Upper Pliocene, a complexity was reached equalling that found in some of the finest antlers of existing species. A glance at the accompany- ing illustration should make this clear. Among spec
. The infancy of animals. Animal behavior; Natural history. so THE INFANCY OF ANIMALS. HORNS OF FOSSIL DEER. A. Dicroseros elegans, Miocene, France, B. Cervus pentUici,lt. Pliocene,Pikermi. C. Ctrvus perrieri v. Pliocene, Mt. Perrier, Pay-de-Dome. After Smith-Woodward, In the Upper Miocene and Lower Pliocene we find species with antlers displaying three or four prongs, or " tines," until, in the Upper Pliocene, a complexity was reached equalling that found in some of the finest antlers of existing species. A glance at the accompany- ing illustration should make this clear. Among species now living, it may be remarked, some, like the Roe-deer, have not advanced beyond the stage attained during the Miocene period, and between this and the magnificent weapons of the red-deer and wapiti we have a wonderful variety in size, form and complexity. One of the most characteristic features of a mammal is its covering of hair ; but in some species this has, in the course of ages, gradually disappeared or become con- siderably reduced in length and quantity, while in others it has become transformed into spines, or replaced by bony plates, and much of what we know as to these changes we owe to the study of young mammals. Thus, for example, neither the elephant nor the rhino- ceros are conspicuous for their hairiness, yet when quite young both are emphatically hairy. From this fact we infer that this hairiness is reminiscent of a yet more hairy ancestral condition ; and the inference is justified by an appeal to the past, for we find that during these earlier. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Pycraft, W. P. , (William Plane), b. 1868. London, Hutchinson & Co.
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