RUMINANTIA. 



183 



the cellular structure of the stomach, which is capable of being 

 converted into an assemblage of water tanks," must be included 

 among the plainest and most striking evidences of the Creator's 

 wise and benevolent care, as presented in the "Animal King, 

 dom." 



The Camel combines within itself qualities^ the possession of 

 any one of which serves to render other quadrupeds absolutely nec- 

 essary to human welfare. " Like the Elephant, it is manageable 

 and tame ; like the horse, it gives the rider security ; it carries 

 greater burdens than the ox and the mule ; and its milk is fur- 

 nished in as great abundance as that of the cow : the flesh of 

 the young one is supposed to be as delicate as veal ; the hair is 

 more beautiful and in more request than wool ; nay, there is 

 scarcely a part of their frame of which it can be said, it is use- 

 less." 



C. Arabicus. The ARABIAN CAMEL. 



Of the two species, this is the best known, and sometimes is 

 called the Dromedary, or runner, (C. dromedarius.) Plate II. 

 fig. 3. The term dromedary is, however, more strictly ap- 

 plicable to a lighter variety, El-Heirie, which is unfit for 

 burdens, but employed when despatch is required. The 

 Arabian Camel is more extensively used than the Bactrian; 

 and from its constitution, appears able to endure, for a greater 

 length of time, the fatigues and deprivations to which these ani- 

 mals are subjected. It ie the wealth of the Arab, and nearly 

 the only beast of burden in Turkey, Persia and the north of Af- 

 rica. Having only a single hump, placed nearly in the center 

 of the back, it is at once distinguished from the other species, 

 which has two ; it is also of a size and stature somewhat smaller, 

 being from five to seven feet high at the shoulders. The muz- 

 zle is less swollen than that of the other species ; the hair soft, 

 woolly and very unequal, longest on the neck, the throat, and 

 the hump. The color is always lighter than that of the Bactrian 

 Camel, being, while the animal is young, of a dull, dirty white, 

 but becoming, with age, of a reddish gray. The long woolly 

 hair is woven into garments and tents, and the finer hair is im- 

 ported into Europe for the manufacture of artists' pencils. The 

 best is obtained from Persia. Of the varieties of this Camel, 

 the Turkish and Arabian is the strongest and most hardy. In 

 China there is a swift breed to which is given the poetical 

 name of "the Camel with the feet of the wind." 



The Arabian Camel is carefully trained, when young, to kneel 

 and receive burdens. In temper, it is mild, submissive, docile 



