BO'VID1E (from Lat. bos, gen. Loris, ox). A family of ruminants embracing all those hav ing hollow persistent horns in both sexes (save in certain antelopes), combined with certain other anatomical characters. (See RUMINANT.) it includes the domestic animals that 'chew the cud,' and others prominent as game. These are usually divided into five sub-families or sections. viz.: (1) Antelopes (Antilopinw) ; (2) goats (Caprine) ; (3) sheep (Ovime) : (4) musk-oxen (Ovibovinre) ; (5) oxen (Bovine). In a gen eral way, and by typical examples, these divi sions (elsewhere fully treated under their Eng lish names) are easily recognized; but when all the representatives of the family are consid ered they are found to intergrade confusingly, so that some naturalists regard the sub-sections of antelopes (as the Aleephalime. etc., see ANTE LOPE ) as cniird i na e with the Ca prinw, Ovinw, etc.: and opinions vary as to their inter-rela tions; while certain forms, especially the saigas, are by some authorities excluded altogether. The most conspicuous common character is the na ture of the horns, which occur in pairs and con sist of hollow sheaths of hardened and thickened epidermis (see HORN), covering and supported by bony outgrowths of the skull, varying in form in the different groups. These begin to grow
soon after birth, enlarging with the growth of the core, and are perfected at maturity. at %Odell time "the core becomes excavated by the exten sion into it of the frontal sinuses, whence the ruminants which possess sneh horns are not infrequently called Cavicornia": (nice assumed, they remain permanently throughout life, forming the principal weapons of offense and defense pos sessed by the tribe. The distribution of the fam ily is extensive, covering all of the Old World except Australasia, but in the Western Hemi sphere it is confined to the northern continent. none being indigenous to South America. Most of them, however, show high adaptability for accli matization, enabling the domesticated species to thrive in almost every part of the world.