The frontal bones (8) are of large size and great breadth ; this latter feature being more especially manifest in the Camels, the Sheep, and certain bovine species. In the Came lidw they extend backward between the anterior divisions of the parietal bone, and in front they are articulated to the lachrymals by a transverse suture, which is less extended in the Llamas than in the true Camels. In the Llamas and in the genus Moschus a small part of the frontal is connected to the superior maxillary. There are several supra orbital or frontal foramina (c) with rounded orifices, which in the Camels are placed near the middle line and at the centre of the fore head. In the Llamas these openings are placed rather farther back and united by a longitudinal groove. The frontals are ele vated posteriorly in Bovidm (e, fig. 327.) and prolonged toward the occipital crest, in the formation of which they apparently con tribute,—a circumstance giving rise to the peculiar physiognomy characteristic of the group. The osseous protuberances support ing the horns, of which we shall speak more particularly when desctibing the latter in detail, take their origin in most cases from the frontal bones. In the Giraff'e the slight eminences analogous to the osseous cores are partly formed by the parietal bone, the coronal suture passing directly through the centre fi.om side to side (fig. 328.) ; the an terior or central eminence, situated imme diately behind the nasals, and in part formed by them, differs in no respect, save as regards its position, from the other two, the elevation in all instances being produced by the expan sion of the cranial sinuses beneath. There is a single large supra-orbital canal, having its superior outlet midway between the upper border of the orbit and the central frontal eminence (fig. 323.). In Cervidm generally, the canal opens at the upper surface by a longitudinal furrow (fig. 329.), but this is more particularly marked in Bovidoe ( fig. 333.). In regard to the cranial sutures in Cervidm, M. F. Cuvier observes that " all those por tions, such as the second half of the frontal, the greater part of the coronal, and the occi pital or lambdoidal, which surround the base of the core, exhibit an excessive multiplication of interlineations, because the weight of the horns and the shocks to which the parts arc exposed require that the bones should be firmly connected " fig. 329).* The sphenoid (1) articulates, except in Bovidm, with all the cranial bones ; but its orbitar wing, which is largely developed, is concealed in great measure within the cere bral cavity, and covered by the lateral expan sions of the frontal bones. In the Camelidm the pterygoid processes of the sphenoid are directed vertically downwards and terminate in two laminm, the external one being longer and larger than the internal : the latter pro cess only makes its appearance very low down, and is so closely applied to the ex ternal lamina, as to leave scarcely any trace of a pterygoid fossa ; neither is there any space between it and the wing of the palatine bone. In this family the spheno-orbitar fissures and the apheno-palatine foramina are of great size. The optic canals are only separated from the former by a thin osseous partition, and the openings for the passage of the third branch of the fifth pair of nerves are rounded and placed far back The Cervidm have the posterior division of the sphenoid developed into an extremely attenuated and short tem poral wing, which, nevertheless, is articulated to the parietal, the lateral processes reaching very far forward. The orbitar wing of the sphenoid in the same family separates into two divisions, one extending upwards and back wards, and also uniting with the parietal, the other being prolonged horizontally forward, between the frontal and palatine bones, and terminating anteriorly at the border of an opening which corresponds to the spheno palatine foramen. In the Giraffe the temporal wing of the sphenoid is short and connected by a well-marked suture to the T-shaped process of the narrow lateral expansion of the parietal ; it approaches very closely, but is not united to the orbitar plate of the frontal as has been conjectured. ln the work last alluded to in the foot-note it is stated that the frontal and sphenoid bones are united at an early period, rendering it difficult to make out their limits. In the cranium of a Giraffe about two years old, and at present in our possession, the sutures involved in the union of the above-mentioned osseous segments, fortunately yet remain distinct, and in this individual the orbitar wings of the sphenoid do not divide into two laminm, as seen in the Stags, but at the floor of each orbit they form a broad, short, and triangular fan-shaped plate, the centre of which is pierced by the hole for the passage of the optic nerve. The spheno-orbitar apertures are round and of enormous size in the Giraffe : in the Stags the spheno-palatine foramina are also large ; and this is more especially the case in Camelo pardalis, where they lie concealed behind the molar prominences. In the genus Moschus the anterior sphenoid is largely developed, and its wings form the greater part of the posterior wall of the orbits. The body of this portion of the bone is compressed, and, in consequence of a central space left fled (fig. 330.), we are enabled to look into the orbit of the opposite side ; a peculiarity not confined to the animals under con sideration, being more marked in certain of the Rodentia and in birds. In Bovidm the temporal wing of the sphenoid, which is of comparatively large size and much curved backward, does not reach the parietal bone as in the other ruminants ; and it is further distinguished by a sharp pointed ridge de veloped from its anterior margin, which in the preceding genera is only feebly indicated, though tolerably prominent in the Giraffe.
The anterior wing extends horizontally for ward and is convex on its orbitar surface (d, fig. 327.). Part of the body of the pos terior sphenoid forms, in conjunction with the anterior third of the basi-occipital, two projecting elevations, which are separated from each other by a deep groove : these also appear in the Goats, where they are less marked. In both families the spheno-palatine and the spheno-orbitar foramina are capacious ; but in CEgosceridm the latter openings are somewhat compressed. The os ethmoides has the same relations as usual, its cells being greatly developed in the Giraffe.
The temporal bone (10), as in other mam malia, consists of three segments. In Came lidm the zygomatic arches form, in conjunction with the sunken temples and strongly pointed occipito-parietal crests, a striking feature, which imparts to the cranium of this family a carnivorous type of structure. This mor phological peculiarity is chiefly noticeable in the Camels properly so called ; and in thcm the glenoid cavity is very deep, being sup ported in front and behind by prominent apophyses, the posterior of which is united at its base to the tympanic bulla (fig. 331.). The latter is much compressed, and also firmly connected above to the paramastoid apophyses of the occipital, leaving a con spicuous cavity between. In the Llamas, at the root of the zygomatic apophysis, there is a large round foramen hnmediately above the external meatus. In Cervidaz and Antelo pidm the post-glenoid apophysis is feebly developed, and the base of the zygoma is flattened and prolonged backwards toward the occipital crest ; the squarnous portion is rather extensive and the tympanic bulla of large size. Similar arrangements obtain in the Giraffe, but the zygomatic apophyses are more curved than in the Stags. The base of the zygomatic process in many of the Ante lopidw is pierced by an oval opening, which is situated midway between the external auditory meatus and the glenoid facet ; and from it there sometimes proceeds a fissure, which takes an upward direction, to join the parieto-temporal or squamous suture.* This foramen occurs in the Muntjack deer (fig. 331.), and, as we have before stated, in the are much narrowed, and their styloid pro cesses are divided at the tip into several needle shaped points.
Bones of the face.— These are more nu merous than those of the cranium, and we shall only notice the more important of them in detail.
The nasals (7), which vary much in size, are long in the true Camels, a little spread out at the base and deeply notched in front, forming together three salient points : in the Llamas we find them very. short and broad posteriorly. In Cervidx generally, the na sals are much extended lengthwise and bifur cate anteriorly (fig. 329.) : in the Muntjack (C. /14untjac) and in the Giraffe they are par ticularly wide apart at the upper or posterior border (fig. 331.) ; and in the latter species they exhibit a gradual but marked rising towards the central eminence of the frontals (fig. 328.). The naso-frontal suture in the genus Moschus is much denticulated. The nasals are very short in the Eland or Canna (21. oreas, Pallas), and in the Moose-deer (C. aloes, Linn.) In CEgoscerid and Bo vidze the bones of the nose are moderately long, and slightly convex above in the former (f, fig. 335.) ; in the latter family and in the Groats they are divided in front (f, fig. 327.); but in the Sheep they form together a single V-shaped process (7, fig. 332.).
Llamas also. In CEgosceridx the squamous portion of the temporal is comparatively small (e, fig. 335.), and the tympanic bulla, which is moderately large and somewhat flattened, terminates by a sharp styloid pro cess anteriorly. The post-glenoid apophysis is represented by a very narrow ridge of bone, leaving only a slit-like cavity between it and the meatus. In Bovidw the temporals (e, fig. 327.) are partially- hid by the overhanging frontals : they develope short and strong zygomatic apophyses ; their bullw (e',fig. 327.) The intermaxillaries (1) are usually much prolonged, but they do not develope incisive teeth except in the Camelidm, and a few other species. In the Camels properly so called, and in the aberrant cervine genus Moschus, the outer rami of these bones incline at the supe rior part almost vertically upwards (fig. 331.); but in the Llamas they maintain through out an oblique direction as obtains in rumi nants generally. In both genera they are com pressed laterally, and brought round in front, so as to resemble in some measure the beak of a bird ; the incisive foramina are remarkably small. In CEgoscericlw (g, fig. 335.) and vidx, for the most part, the ascending rami cline at a very oblique angle, and in Camelo pardalis they exhibit a slight concavity at the upper margin. In this last named genus the termaxillary bones are very long and extremely attenuated at the tip (fig. 328.) ; in Bovidx, on the other hand, they are of diminished length (g, fig. 327.), straight, of great thick ness and broad in front, giving to the muzzle an aspect characteristic of the group (1,fig. 333.). The incisive openings are elongated, capacious, and widely separated in the Giraffe (fig. 328.), they are still more so in the Stags (fig. 329.) and Antelopes (fig. 342.) ; and in CEgoscericlx and Bovidze they form enormous clefts, especially in the latter (A. 333.). Several genera have a small free space be tween the converging points of the inter maxillaries; and this is particularly noticeable in the Giraffe ( fig. 328 ). The bones in question are of great length in the Eland or Cape Elk, and in the Moose-deer.