TOOTH CHARACTERS 



original five, and only one is left in the horse and its 

 allies, and two in the oxen and deer that is, in each 

 case one or two perfect toes ; for there are vestiges of 

 two others in each case, with certain exceptions, where 

 "perierunt etiam ruince, the very rudiments are tiny." 

 The Perissodactyles embrace the horses, rhinoceroses, 

 and tapirs, which are sufficiently dealt with in the pages 

 which follow. The Artiodactyles are first of all divisible 

 into two main groups, the Bunodontia and the Seleno- 

 dontia. These names are derived from the characters 

 of the molar teeth, which are tubercular in the one 

 upon their grinding surfaces, and with a half -moon -like 

 pattern in the other. The Bunodonts are the pigs and 

 the hippopotamus ; the Selenodontia are again divisible 

 into four groups, viz. Tragulidae (see kanchil), 

 Giraffidae (see giraffe), Camelidae (see lama), and the 

 Pecora. The Pecora itself consists of the hollow-horned 

 ruminants (see urus) and the solid -horned ruminants (see 

 elk). The former embraces the antelopes, goats, sheep, 

 and oxen, the latter the deer. The further character- 

 istics of these various types is given under the descrip- 

 tion of those selected for comment. 



THE TAPIR 



This swarthy beast has undoubtedly a pig-like aspect. 

 This is induced by its rotund form, its short legs with 

 their three or four toes, the curtailment of the tail, and 

 perhaps the rather small eyes. These appearances, 

 however, are quite deceptive ; the nearest living allies 

 of the tapir are the horse and the rhinoceros. With 

 these the tapir forms a subdivision of the Ungulate 

 animals known as the Perissodactyla, characterized, as 

 far as external characters go, mainly by the fact that 

 among the fingers and toes one median finger or toe is 

 predominant and occupies the median axis of the limb, 



53 



