THE CAMEL. 



renews when the opportunity presents itself, 

 enables it to go for several days without 

 drinking, and that too even in the glowing 

 deserts which it inhabits. The third stomach, 

 the liber, on the other hand, is undeveloped. 



We are not acquainted with any camels 

 living perfectly wild. The animals belonging 



to Central Asia which have been described 

 as such are probably only escapes from 

 domestication. 



Two species are usually distinguished, the 

 two-humped or Bactrian Camel (Camelus 

 bactrianus), fig. 199, which is confined to 

 Asia, and in particular Central Asia north of 



Fig. 199. The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus). 



the Himalayas; and the single-humped camel 

 or Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius), PI. 

 XXXIV., which is found tame throughout 

 Africa and Asia Minor. Both species are 

 illustrated in this work. 



These two so-called species are distin- 

 guished only by their humps, those accumula- 

 tions of fat, which are very variable as re- 

 gards their volume. The state of health of the 

 camel is held to be indicated by the condition 

 of this hump, which in well-nourished animals 

 is large, full, erect, and elastic when touched, 

 but in ill-fed, starved, or diseased animals 

 hangs down, and is sometimes scarcely ob- 

 servable. Apart from this feature no dis- 



tinguishing mark can be pointed out between 

 the two species; and we may add that the 

 numerous breeds which have manifestly been 

 produced by artificial selection by man pre- 

 sent far greater differences as regards the 

 proportions of the limbs, the structure of the 

 skeleton, the character of the hair-covering, 

 and so forth, than the two species described. 

 It is true that the two-humped camel is 

 heavier, its body more thickset, its hair-cover- 

 ing denser and coarser, especially on the 

 head, the shoulders, and round the hump; 

 but it must be borne in mind that this animal, 

 as an inhabitant of the steppes of Central 

 Asia, where it is employed in various ways 



