14 TUSKS AND THEIR USES. 



CHAPTER II. 



TUSKS AND THEIR USES. 



MANY mammals, such as the elephant, hippopotamus, and 

 walrus, are furnished with one or two pairs of pointed 

 conical or compressed teeth largely exceeding all the 

 others in length, and to which the term "tusks" is usually 

 applied. Lions and wolves likewise have two pairs of 

 somewhat similarly enlarged teeth in the fore part of their 

 jaws ; and although these are proportionately smaller than 

 in the animals above named, it will be obvious that in 

 popular language it is difficult not to include them under 

 the same general title. Using, then, the term " tusks " 

 for all such enlarged simple teeth, it may be of interest to 

 note the groups in which these attain their greatest 

 development, and also endeavour to learn something 

 regarding their uses. An especial interest attaches, 

 indeed, to the subject, on account of the extreme beauty 

 of many of these teeth, and also from the circumstance 

 that it is these alone which yield the various descriptions 

 of ivory. 



In a great number of instances such tusks comprise a 

 pair in both the upper and lower jaws, which are situated 

 immediately behind the front, or incisor teeth, and, 

 from their marked development in the dog tribe, are 

 scientifically designated canine teeth ; the name "eye- 

 teeth" being also not unfrequently applied to them in 

 popular language. Tusks of this sort are characterized 

 by the circumstance that the lower one on each side bites 

 in front of the upper one ; while the latter is always the 

 first tooth situated in the true upper jaw-bone, the incisors, 

 or front teeth, being implanted in a more anteriorly 

 situated bone known as the pre-maxilla. In any ordinary 



