I 



Ml* 



hot* in 





LLAMA. 



terminal** in the palate by more numerous holes. The oval 

 k imaller. Internally the floor (plancher) of the cerebral cavity 

 >ited than it i* in the Deer and the Sheep ; the clinoid 



i form together only one amall plate ; and the region 

 i Uw optic nerve* art lodged i* nearly on a level with that of the 

 pituitary gland. 



. The anterior teeth of the Camel* exhibit a considerable ilifference 

 from those of the other RuminanU : they have, in the first place, both 

 above and below, the ftnt molar, or rather false molar, detached from 

 the other*, and situated forward*, a* we bare Men above ; and which, 

 from it* ieolated poaition and pointed form, put* on the appearance of 

 a canine tooth. They hare moreover a true canine tooth implanted 

 at the anterior border of the maxillary bone. ThU tooth becomes in 

 aged subject* developed like the canine of one of the great Camaaniers. 

 Laetly. they have a true upper incisive tooth implanted in the inter- 

 maxillary bone, and this alio put* on the form of a canine tooth : 

 thus the Camels seem to have in the upper jaw three canines on each 

 aide. In the lower jaw they have only the eight ordinary indoors ; 

 but beaides that the detached molar performs the office of a canine 

 tooth, the external inciaor ha* a pointed form, and rises to interlock 

 (s'engrener) between the upper canine and incisor : this then again 

 represents a canine tooth, and in the old camel it has the entire 

 appearance of a strong canine of a Carnamier. 



" In the Llamas," continue* Cuvier, " whilst they have, like the 

 Calash, only five molars in a series, and often even only four below, 

 I do not find the detached anterior molar, or at least I must think 

 that it fall* very early ; but the upper canine and incisor, and tlic i 

 external incisor below, are disposed as in the Camels, and are only ' 

 more roni[ireeil and trenchant at their edges. In both thesa sub- i 

 genera the lower incisors are Urge, strong, a little unequal, and I 

 directed forward*." 



The metatarsal and metaearpal bone* of the Camels and Llamait 

 are earily recognised, because they are divided higher than in the 

 other Ruminant*, and well above the articular pulleys. In the Camels 

 the scaphoid and cuboid bones of the tarsus are not soldered, and 

 always remain distinct The two edges of the rotatory rulley (poulie 

 rotulienue) of the femur are in the Camel nearly equal, an in the 

 Hog. In the RuminanU generally the ulna is scarcely more than an 

 appendage to the radius, but the distinction generally remains marked 

 throughout the length of the bone*, though they become soldered by 

 age, a* in the Ox, Deer, Sheep, and Gazelles : in other cases the ulna 

 disappear* soon after pawing the olecranon, as in the Giraffe, and still 

 more in the Camel in the Camels and the Llamas the tuberosities 

 of the upper head of the humema are not elevated a* in the other 

 Iluminant*. With regard to the pelvis, the Camel ha* the external 

 angle of the ischium pointed and without truncation, and the spinal 

 angle Urge and rounded ; but this last is as much and more advanced 

 than the other. The posterior front of the pelvis is enlarged, and its 

 posterior horde* much more like that of the Hone ; and so it is in the 

 LUm*. ( Osermeo* Foseile*.') 



Professor Owen ha* detected an osteological character, not noticed 

 by Cuvier, which peculiarly mark* the Candida, namely, the absence 

 of the perforations in the transverse processes of the cervical vertebra 

 for the*snmiseion of the vertebral arteries. 



In the structure of the stomach the Camelida exhibit a marked 

 difference from other Ruminant* [CMEU's], and though doubt* have 

 been thrown on the tact, the stomach of the Llama i* formed upon 

 the same peculiar principle a* that which govern* the development of 

 this viacu* in the Camel Sir Everard Home maintain*, that though a por- 

 tion of the stomach of the Llama is, a. it were, intended to resemble the 

 reservoir, for water in the Camel, these have no depth, are only super- 

 ficial cells, and have no muscular apparatus to cloee their mouth* and 

 allow the solid food to paas into the fourth cavity, or truly digesting 

 tomaeh. without going into these cells. Dr. Knox, on the contrary, 

 that the real difference* between the stomachs of the 

 Camel* are much leas than bad been imagined. The 

 is, that in making observation* on parti of this description a 

 great deal depend* upon the care taken to keep the body of the sub- 

 ject in a fixed position. Thus we find Mr. Spooner, on the occasion 

 at hi* reading his note* on the poet-mortem examination of a dromedary 

 that died in the Oirden of the Zoological Society, observing that 

 though he found nothing to add to the account* already given by 

 DMbenton and Sir K. Home, the cells of the first cavity in the subject ! 

 on which be was reading contained food; and he was therefore induced 

 *o mgisf that doubt* might be entertained of the correctness of the 

 generally received opinion, that these MCI are destined to act a* 

 leaiiioiii for fluids. 



Upon this, Professor Owen stated that he also had found in the cells 

 of the stomaob* of llama* which be bad directed more or leu of food; 

 bat be suggested the probability that thi* might have been forced into 

 them by moving the animal about after death, when muscular power 

 being aboliabed resistance to the admission of food into the cells would 

 have ocaaed. He added, that in the instance of the camel which was 

 killed some years since at the Royal College of Surgeons (the purlieu- 

 kn of the examination of which have been published by Sir E. Home) 

 the cells of the seoond and first cavities of the stomach were found tx> 

 be filled with water only : in that caw the animal bad been kept 

 without drink for three days, was then allowed to drink freely, was 



LLAMA. 4H 



killed three hours afterwards, and was opened without being moved 

 from it* erect position. Mr. Cox, on the same occasion, suggested 

 that the existence of food in the cells in the instances referred to 

 might perhaps be accounted for by the fact that the animal* in ques- 

 tion had been kept for many year* in this country, where they were 

 at all times provided with water : under these circumstances a recep- 

 tacle for the preservation of fluid would not be called into use ; and 

 the cell* having therefore ceased to be applied to that purpose the 

 muscular power of their aperture* would have been consequently 

 diminished. Colonel Sykes added that on examining, in India, the 

 stomach of a camel he had found the cells devoid of food. (' Xool. 

 Proc.,' 1832.) Professor Owen informs us that the camel killed at 

 the College of Surgeons had been a long time in England ; but the 

 function of the water-cells was not altered, as the experiment clearly 

 proved. 



The student, if he be disposed to doubt at all, will have his doubts 

 on this point cleared up by an examination of the part* in the Museum 

 of the Royal College of Surgeons, prepared by Professor Owen ; and, 

 as this part of the subject is peculiarly interesting, we proceed to 

 give a description from the pen of that gentleman of the preparations 

 there preserved. No. 566 B (Physiological Series), is the stomach of a 

 foetal Lltaati(Aufhfniti tf/ama,Desmarest). This singular form of rumin- 

 ating stomach, observe* Professor Owen, is peculiar to the Camel tribe ; 

 it is in some respect* simpler than that of the horned ruminants, and 

 in others more complicated. Like the stomach of the small species of 

 Moschus (No. 554), the psalteriuin is leas distinctly separated from 

 thu abomasus, and at this early period of existence it exhibits in the 

 Llama a similar deficiency of the characteristic laminae. The reti- 

 culum however is much more complex, each of the larger iilv. .,],, 

 being developed into many smaller ones, a structure partially indicated 

 in the reticulum of the Goat (No. 664), and more strongly marked in 

 that of the Ox (No. 464 A). There are moreover two groups of cells 

 developed from the rumen, which differ from those of the reticulum 

 in being shallower, and being visible from without, giving a socculated 

 character to those parts of the paunch. The several compartments 

 of the stomach have been laid open in this preparation to show their 

 communications with each other and the character of their inner 

 surface. The rumen is lined with cuticle, but is wholly destitute of 

 the villi which characterise it in the horned ruminants. It is partially 

 divided into two compartment* by a strong fasciculus of muscular 

 fibres, which, commencing on the left side of the cardiac orifice, 

 traverse* the paunch longitudinally. On the right side of this ridge 

 about fourteen smaller muscular fasciculi pas? off at right angles, end 

 these ridge* are connected by still smaller fasciculi, running trans- 

 versely between them at different distances from each other; the 

 quadrangular space* which result from the above arrangement of 

 fasciculi are partly closed by a production of the lining membrane, 

 leaving a circular aperture in the centre of each square for the 

 paaeage of liquids into the cells beneath. The compartment of the 

 paunch to the left of the great longitudinal ridge terminates in two 

 saoculi, at what may be considered the cardiac extremity. The sac- 

 culus nearest the oesophagus is simple; the one farthest from it is 

 developed into a series of cell*, of a smaller size but of precisely 

 similar construction to those on the opposite side of the paunch a 

 series of smaller muscular bands passing off at right angle* from the 

 larger one, which separate* the two sacculi, and these lesser bands 

 being connected by transverse fasciculi, in the intervals of which the 

 cell* are developed. The reticulum, or water-bag, U laid open, showing 

 that the cells are situated between a series of parallel muscular fasci- 

 culi, as in the rumen ; but their further subdivision is carried to a 

 greater extent, and their orifices are not guarded by membranous 

 production*. The external muscular coat of this cavity is so disposed 

 that it* exterior is smooth and uniform, and the cells are scarcely 

 visible from without The oesophagus is laid open, BO as to show the 

 muscular ridge which traverses it longitudinally, and winds round 

 the upper part of the reticulum to terminate at the orifice of the 

 paalterium. " It is obvious," continues Professor Owen, " that by the 

 contraction of this fasciculus, all communication between the first 

 two cavities and the oesophagus would be cut off, and the reinasticated 

 food would be conducted, as in the honied ruminants, into the third 

 cavity. A slighter degree of contraction would cut off the communi- 

 cation with the rumen, and allow the passage of fluids direct into the 

 reticulum, or water-bag, which probably takes place when the Camel 

 or Llama drink*." A free communication however subsists between 

 the water-bag and paunch. A porcupine's quill i* passed through the 

 oblique canal leading to the third cavity ; this cavity in the Camel is 

 a amall sacculus, distinct from and intervening between the reticulum 

 and pealterium ; it is not so distinct in the Llama ; but on a close 

 inspection, the inner membrane nearest the orifice above-mentioned 

 may be seen to be produced into ridge*, which are arranged in n 

 reticulate or alveolar form ; and as a similar structure is more dis- 

 tinctly observable in the Camel, this cavity was considered by Daubenton 

 as the true analogue of the reticulum, and the water- bag as a peculiar 

 super-addition. The remainder of the stomach in the foetal Llama 

 may be seen to form one elongated continuous cavity, bent upon itself 

 at it* lower third without rugae or laminae, the latter being afterwards 

 developed at the cardiac half of this cavity. The pylorus is a small 

 transverse aperture protected by a large oval protuberance. The 



