SUBDIVISION OF UNGULATES 



thick skin of many of them led to the old name of 

 Pachydermata for this group, which, however, then 

 embraced some other forms. In short, if an animal is 

 large, if its hair be coarse and not dense, if it walk upon 

 its toes and not on the flat of the foot, if its grinding 

 teeth be flattened on the grinding surface, if its canines 

 are absent or insignificant, and if it possess horns, it is 

 certain to be an Ungulate. The Ungulates are a large 

 group, large in numbers, that is to say, as well as in size 

 of individuals. They are found all over the world, 

 with only the exceptions of Australia and some of the 

 adjacent islands, and New Zealand. Tropical Africa 

 may perhaps be regarded as their headquarters, for 

 here abound antelopes of many species (but not a single 

 deer), oxen, rhinoceros, elephant, hippopotamus, many 

 pigs, and the hyraxes. Zebras are found here, and 

 here only, and the hippopotamus is nowadays restricted 

 to that continent. Next in variety of kinds come certain 

 parts of Asia, where tapirs, elephants, rhinoceroses, deer, 

 oxen, and antelopes are met with. 



The several names used imply a possibility of a sub- 

 division of the Ungulata into smaller groups ; and this 

 can be done by easily recognizable, and even quite 

 external, characters. To these external characters 

 correspond certain marked differences in the structure 

 of the bones, of the muscles, and of the various organs 

 of the body, particularly the brain, stomach, and some 

 other parts of the alimentary tract. We may in the 

 first place cut off from the main Ungulate body the 

 hyrax and the elephant, each of which types forms a 

 very distinct group of its own. The hyrax contrasts 

 with all other existing Ungulates by the following 

 assemblage of characters. It is of small size, with a 

 short tail and rather dense fur. It is plantigrade, i.e. 

 it walks upon the soles of the feet ; the hoofs are not so 

 markedly hoofs as in the horses and oxen, etc., but more 



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