992 THE UNGULATES, OR HOOFED MAMMALS 



another instance of a similar structure being independently acquired in two distinct 

 groups. The head is carried high in the air, with the upper part of the neck nearly 

 vertical, and is unprovided with either horns or antlers. The stomach has but 

 three compartments; the first two of these being provided with a number of cells or 

 pouches which can be closed by the action of muscles, and these contain only fluid. 

 The bones of all the members of the family are remarkable for their extremely 

 solid and ivory-like structure. 



The Camel family, in proportion to its extent, is more valuable to mankind than 

 any other group of even-toed Ungulates, only one species being unknown in the 

 domesticated condition, while two are now found exclusively in that state. The 

 Old and New-World representatives constitute two distinct genera, the former of 

 which we take first. 



THE CAMELS 

 Genus Camelus 



The camels of the Old World, of which there are two distinct species, are char- 

 acterized by their great bodily size and bulk, and the presence of one or two large fatty 

 humps on the back, as well as by having six upper and five lower cheek-teeth on 

 each side of the jaws, the total number of teeth being thirty-four. Their ears are 

 comparatively short and rounded; and the hair is very irregularly disposed, being in 

 some places very long and shaggy, and in others short and close, although never 

 partaking of the nature of true wool. The feet are broad, with the toes very 

 imperfectly separated; and the tail is comparatively long, reaching nearly to the 

 hocks, and furnished near the end with long hair forming a terminal tuft. Callous 

 pads, on which the animal rests when lying down, and which are present at birth, 

 are found on the chest, the elbows, the wrists (commonly called the knees), and the 

 knees. Needless to say, the whole form of these animals is far from beautiful, while 

 the head is ugly in the extreme; and this want of bodily beauty is accompanied by 

 a viciousness of temper and general stupidity of disposition which can scarcely be 

 paralleled elsewhere among domesticated animals. 



The two species of camels are both now unknown in the wild condition, although 

 in some localities there are half-wild herds of which the parents have escaped from 

 captivity. There is also a half-breed between the two species, which is said by the 

 tribes among which it is bred to display better qualities than either of the parent 

 stocks. 



Arabian Camel ^ e ^ rst ^ t ^ iese two species is the true or Arabian camel ( Camelus 

 dromedarius) , which is found both in Africa and Asia, and is char- 

 acterized by its single hump. It is a long-limbed animal, with a comparatively- 

 short coat of hair, and soft feet, adapted for walking on yielding, sandy soil, and 

 standing from about six feet eight inches to seven feet in height. The head is com- 

 paratively short, with a long, sloping muzzle, and convex forehead; the eyes are large 

 with a soft expression ; and the small rounded ears are placed far back on the sides 

 of the head. The upper lip overhangs the lower; and the large slit-like nostrils can 

 be closed at will. The long neck is laterally compressed, and thickest in the middle; 



