492 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



ed upwards and to the left, and the 

 cavity of the ventricle on that side 

 rcajched to the point. 



1 did not nee the brain, as I 

 wished to preserve the skull en- 

 tire. 



After having examined the vis- 

 cera of the anin>al, I proceeded 

 with the dissection. The cartila- 

 ginous state of the extremities of 

 the bones did not allow me to make 

 an artificial skeleton of them. 



Among the bony parts of the 

 thorax tlie sternum merits some 

 attention. It is in a horizontal 

 plane, like that of the camel thick, 

 rounded on its outward surface, 

 and covered in the natural state 

 with a fatty substance of a close 

 texture. The integuments on this 

 part are much thicker than else- 

 where. This bone was intended to 

 serve as a point of support for the 

 animal when lying down ; and the 

 almost constant use he made of it 

 during his illness had pressed the 

 extremities of the sternocostal car- 

 tilages inwards. The middle, spi- 

 nal apophyses of the vertebrae 

 formed a gibbosity, which, if it 

 had been covered externally by a 

 little fat, would have resembled 

 the bunch of the camel. The re- 

 mainder of the vertebral column 

 inclined imperceptibly towards the 

 pelvis, which was of itself inclined 

 and of small capacity. The edges 

 of the haunch bones were cartila- 

 ginous. The sacrum was lengthen- 

 ed by a series of caudal vertebrae, 

 so as to form a tail in every respect 

 similar to that of the camel. 



The scapulae, very thin and with- 

 out clavicles, were connected with 

 the trunk only by means of sca- 

 pular muscles, as in the camel. The 

 cervical vertebrae formed a very long 

 column, curving froin below up- 



ward, so as to give the neck the 

 same figure and length in propor- 

 tion to the size of the animal as 

 those of the camel. As in the lat- 

 ter, these vertebree had no spinal 

 apophyses ; but a very strong cer- 

 vical ligament, extending from the 

 occiput to the spine of the tirst 

 dorsal vertebrae.supplied their place 

 for the attachment of the mus- 

 cles, and kept the head and verte- 

 brae in their proper position. The 

 interior face of these vertebrae had 

 a longitudinal hollow, adapted for 

 the reception of the trachea and 

 oesophagus. 



The head of the vicuna has the 

 same Shape and external characters 

 as that of the camel. The jaws 

 have the same number of grinding 

 teeth. The lower has only four 

 cutting teeth, the middlemost of 

 which are the most prominent. The 

 upper has none, as in other rumi- 

 nating animals. 



The [ore and hind limbs in every 

 respect resemble those of the ca- 

 mel. 



The joints of the limbs form a 

 perfect ginglymus, admitting a di- 

 rect and complete flexure of one 

 part against the next, so that this 

 animal, like the camel, bends all 

 his four legs underneath his breast 

 when he lies down ; and this dou^- 

 ble flexure is the effect of the na- 

 tural structure of the limbs, as in 

 the camel, which I had an oppor- 

 tunity of studying in Egypt, and 

 of examining from its birth to its 

 adult age. It is not therefore the 

 result of training. 



The feet of the vicuna are termit- 

 nated by two, long, narrow, soft 

 soles : and have much resemblance 

 to the feet of young camels. 



The outward figure of the head 

 perfectly resembles that of a young 



camel, 



