ii8 MAMMALIA ORDER VL UNGULATA. 



common hare (L. europcp.us), distinguished by the very long ears and hind- 

 legs, inhabits the whole of Europe with the exception of Northern Russia, 

 Scandinavia, and Ireland. In the latter countries its place is taken by the 

 mountain hare (L. timidus), which ranges eastwards to Japan, and is found 

 on several of the mountain ranges of Southern Europe, namely the Pyrenees, 

 Alps, and Caucasus. Smaller than the common hare, it has shorter ears and 

 hind-legs ; and in the colder portions of its habitat changes to pure white in 

 winter, with the exception of the black tips to its ears. The rabbit 

 (L. cuniculus) is a smaller and shorter-limbed form, with the black tips to 

 the ears much reduced in size, or absent ; it was originally a native of the 

 countries bordering the western half of the Mediterranean, but has been 

 introduced into Northern Europe and many other parts of the world. It 

 differs from the hares in its burrowing habits. 



ORDER VI. UNGULATA. 

 THE HOOFED MAMMALS. 



THIS extensive order, which includes hyraces, elephants, horses, rhinoceroses, 

 oxen, antelopes, pigs, etc., is one by no means easy of definition, although 

 its existing members are characterised by having the toes enclosed either in 

 hoofs, or furnished with broad, flattened nails. The number of toes varies 

 from five (in the elephants) to one (in the horses); in the fore-arm the radius 

 and ulna may be united ; in the wrist the scaphoid and lunar bones (united 

 in the Carnivora) are always separate ; collar-bones are wanting in all the 

 existing forms ; and the condyle, or knob, by which the lower jaw articulates 

 with the skull, is always more or less elongated transversely, and never from 

 before backwards in the manner characteristic of the Rodents. The cheek teeth 

 have broad and flattened crowns often interpenetrated by deep foldings of 

 the enamel from the summits and sides adapted for grinding ; and when 

 these teeth are reduced below the typical number of seven, the reduction 

 always takes place from the anterior portion of the series, or, in other words, 

 in the premolars, so that there are constantly three pairs of molars in each 

 jaw. The limbs are always adapted for terrestrial progression, so that there 

 is no power of supining the fore-foot ; and when the first toe is present it 

 has no power of opposition to the others. 



Although a few are omnivorous, the great majority of the Ungulates sub- 

 sist entirely on a vegetable diet; and, with the exception of these sufficiently 

 protected by their great bodily size, most depend upon their swift- 

 ness of foot to escape their enemies. While a small number are not larger 

 than hares, the great majority of the members of the order are animals of 

 large size, and they include among them the most gigantic of all existing 

 terrestrial creatures. The living Ungulates may be divided into four well- 

 marked subordinal groups, while there are others which are now extinct. 



The Proboscidea or first subordinal group of the Hoofed Mammals, is now 

 represented solely by the two existing species of elephants, both of which 

 are included in the genus Eleplias. In addition to their huge bodily size, 

 elephants differ externally from all other animals by the production of the 

 nose into a long, flexible proboscis, or trunk, and likewise by the large tusks 



