CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



is another species, in the same seas, different 

 chiefly in being longer, with a more slender body. 

 Its whalebone is comparatively valueless. 



The family of the Physeterida (Cachelot or 

 Spermaceti Whales) are inhabitants of the Southern 

 Ocean. They have teeth in the lower jaw, but 

 have no baleen. The best known is the Sper- 

 maceti Whale (Physeter macrocephahts), from a 

 cavity in the head of which the substance called 

 spermaceti is obtained. They are distinguished 

 by the bulk of their heads, in which a surprising 

 quantity of fat is lodged. 



The Delphinidce are smaller animals, generally 

 seen in droves, and are very active and lively in 

 the water. They have teeth in both jaws. The 

 Dolphin (Delphinus) and Porpoises (Phoctzna) 

 belong to this group. The latter are often seen on 

 our shores, to which they come in pursuit of her- 

 rings. The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros), or 

 Sea-unicorn of the Arctic Seas, has one of the 

 upper incisor teeth developed to the length of six 

 feet, forming a formidable weapon, which is 

 spirally twisted, and grows throughout the life of 

 the animal 



The Sirenia, or Sea-cows, correspond with the 

 true whales in the important character of the 

 absence of the posterior extremities, and for con- 

 venience may be placed in the same order. The 

 Dugongs (Halicore) of the Indian Ocean the Man- 

 atees (Manatus) of the Gulf of Mexico belong to 

 this group. They are herbivorous, living upon sub- 

 marine plants. They are supposed, from the re- 

 semblance which their face and head, when seen 

 above water, presents to the human lineaments, 

 to have given rise to many of the stories regarding 

 mermaids. 



ORDER 5. Ungulata, or Hoofed Animals 

 includes the two old orders, Pachydermata, or 

 thick-skinned animals, such as the rhinoceros and 

 pigs ; and the Ruminantia, such as sheep and 

 goats. There is an exceedingly large number of 

 genera and species, and they all present the 

 following characters : All the four limbs are pres- 

 ent, and are only useful for support and pro- 

 gression ; hence they are destitute of clavicles. 

 There are never more than four toes to each 

 foot, and the part of the foot touching the 

 ground is encased in a hoof. The molar teeth 

 are broad crowned, and suited for grinding vege- 

 table substances. This order is divided into two 

 sections. 



Section i. Perissodactyla in which the toes or 

 hoofs are odd in number (one or three). The 

 animals comprised under this section further 

 agree in having the hind-foot odd-toed in all, and 

 the fore-fcot in all except the Tapirs. The thigh- 

 bone has a third trochanter. If horns are present, 

 they are placed in the middle line of the body, 

 and have never a bony core. The stomach is 

 simple, and the caecum is capacious. 



Family I. Rhinoceridee. The Rhinoceros is a 

 bulky animal, with a thick skin, which is generally 

 thrown into folds. Its head is furnished with a 

 horn, composed of agglutinated hairs placed in the 

 middle line of the snout. Sometimes a second 

 horn is present ; if so, it is placed behind the first 

 They are ferocious, frequenting marshy places, 

 and living on herbage and branches of trees. 

 Several specie's are known in the tropical parts 

 of the Old World. The best known are the 

 Indian Rhinoceros (R. Indicus), and the African 



130 



form (R. bicornis), which is found in the south of 

 Africa. An extinct species, the Wool Rhinoceros 

 (R. tichorhinis), formerly existed in England. Its 

 bones are frequently found fossil in caves, such as 



Rhinoceros {Rhinoceros Indicus). 



Kirkdale cave in Yorkshire. The Hyrax, which 

 is about the size of a rabbit, is nearly allied to the 

 rhinoceros. It is found in Syria and Africa, and 

 is supposed to be the ' cony ' of Scripture. 



Family 2. Tapirida. In the Tapirs, the fore- 

 foot has four toes, which are unsymmetrical, and 

 the hind-foot has three, all encased in hoofs. The 

 tapirs have a thick hairy skin, a short movable 

 trunk, and a short tail. The Tapir of America 

 (T. Americanus) is about the size of an ass, is 

 brownish-black in colour, is strictly herbivorous, 

 and is nocturnal in its habits. The fossil Palao- 

 therium, from the gypsum quarries of Eocene age, 

 near Paris, is an allied but larger species, but all 

 the feet have three toes each. 



Family 3. Solidungula, or Equida. This 

 family comprises the Horse, Ass, Zebra, Quagga r 



Zebra (Asinus Zebra). 



Onaga, &c. and is easily known by the fact that 

 each foot has only a single perfect hoof. The 

 dental formula is : 



I. 3=3 c IzzI R 3=3 M. 2=3 = 4O . 

 33 i i 33 3-3 



In the males, canines exist in the upper jaw ; but 

 they are absent in the female. From the species 

 of horse, Equus caballus, all the varieties of horse 

 are descended. It is a native of Central Asia. 

 The Ass (Asinus) and Horse are noted fo 



