ORDER VI. RUMINANTJA. 45 



fore legs are much larger than its hind ones, and it drags the 

 latter after its body, as if weary of carrying them. It creeps, 

 in fact, almost with its belly upon the ground, and cannot 

 advance more than fifty or sixty paces in a day. , It climbs 

 trees, and feeds upon their leaves and smaller branches ; but 

 such is its indolence, that, after having despoiled one tree 

 of its foliage, it endures the pangs of hunger a long time, 

 before it removes to another, and usually consumes a day or 

 two in ascending or descending. Sometimes, indeed, it has 

 been known to suffer itself to fall to the ground, rather than 

 undergo the labor of coming down by the trunk. 



The Armadilloes are principally remarkable for their crus- 

 taceous shell or covering, which invests them like a suit of 

 armor. This coat of mail is composed of several pieces, and 

 marked by bands, the number of which serves to distinguish 

 the different species from each other. 



The Ant-eaters are totally destitute of teeth, but are fur- 

 nished with a long, slender tongue. This they thrust into the 

 habitations of ants and termites, and draw it back covered 

 with these animals, which adhere to it by the thick, viscid 

 saliva, with which it Is covered. 



The animals of this order are principally found in the warm 

 parts of the American continent. 



VI. Ruminantia. This order is one of the most distinct 

 and well marked among- the Mammalia. They have gene- 

 rally eight incisive teeth in the lower jaw ; but except the 

 camel, they have none in the upper ; their place being occu- 

 pied by a firm callous projection. They are commonly also 

 destitute of the canine teeth. The grinders are always 

 adapted for the mastication of vegetable food. They have 

 neither toes nor nails, but, instead of them, each of their feet 

 is terninated by a double hoof, which has the appearance of a 

 single one cut in two. Hence they are called cloven-footed. 

 Their fore feet, being thus deprived of the instruments of feel- 

 ing, are only capable of being used, like the hind ones, for 

 walking; and consequently they are not possessed of that 

 freedom of motion in the shoulder-joint, which is observed in 

 the animals previously described. Examples of this order are 

 found in the camel, lama, antelope, musk, deer, ox, sheep, 

 and goat. 



The most distinguished attribute of the ruminating animals, 

 and that which gives to them their name, is the power of 

 bringing their food up into their mouths, after it has been once 

 swallowed, for the purpose of masticating it a second time. 



