CHAPTER XVIII 



THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHEVROTAINS 



BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S. 



T 



, 



A WHITE CAMEL 



A tight sandy is the common colour, though white, grey, brown, and 

 black occur ^ but black camels are held by the Arabs to be -worthless 



HE Camels and Llamas, constituting 

 the present group, form a very dis- 

 tinct section of the great assem- 

 blage of animals known as the Ruminants, or 

 Cud-chewers. The Camel Tribe are peculiar 

 amongst the Ruminants in that they never 

 possess horns, and in that the stomach is 

 only divided into three instead of four com- 

 partments this division into compartments 

 being intimately connected with the ruminat- 

 ing habit. Furthermore, the upper jaw 

 bears cutting-teeth, or " front teeth," as 

 they are popularly called : though the full 

 set (three pairs) is only complete in the 

 young, in the adult but one pair remains, 

 the others being shed. The canine or " eye " 

 teeth are also peculiar in their position, 

 those of the lower jaw being separated from the cutting-teeth by a very considerable gap. 



In the structure of the feet the Camel Tribe are no less peculiar; indeed, it is on this 

 character that the scientific name of the group is founded. Only two toes arc present ; these 

 are of equal size, and, instead of being protected by hoofs, are provided with a hardened skin, 

 covering a cushion-like pad, which expands when the weight of the body is thrown upon the 

 foot, as in walking. This is an admirable adaptation for walking on soft and yielding sands. 

 Hoofs are represented only by a pair of broad nails. 



The three-chambered stomach is remark- 

 able because the chamber known as the 

 " paunch " lodges in its walls a large collec- 

 tion of " water-cells," in which can be stored 

 as much as a gallon and a half of water. 

 This faculty of storing water is invaluable 

 to an animal which has often to subsist for 

 days on absolutely waterless deserts. 



Note the slit-like nostrils in the illus- 

 tration of the Bactrian Camel on page 306. 

 These can be closed at the will of the animal, 

 a useful precaution against the entrance of 

 sand during the violent sand-storms which 

 often arise in the desert. 



The True Camels are distinguished by 

 the possession of a hump or humps : there 

 are never more than two. It is in these 

 humps that the camel was popularly supposed 





Pheto by Charlti Knight 



ARABIAN CAMEL 



Thh individual belongs to the heavy breed employed for carrying 

 merchandise and baggage 



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