THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



47 



Another species, less powerful and savage, is found in 

 Java ; and a third, which possesses two horns, one behind 

 the other, inhabits Sumatra. Four species belong to 

 Africa, all of which have two horns. The Rhinoceros has 

 three toes on each foot; and has seven molar teeth on each 

 side, above and below, only four incisors, and not any 

 canine teeth ; nor does it require such, for it lives entirely 

 on marshes, where it wallows in the mire, feeding on the 

 roots of plants, which it ploughs up with its horn, and on 

 the grasses and plants which grow in or on the banks of 

 the water. Like the Elephant and Hippopotamus, the 

 Rhinoceros was once an inhabitant of this country. 



The last group of Pachydermata which we must now 

 consider, is that called Solidungula, in which we find all 

 the toes consolidated and enclosed in one hoof. This 

 group contains only one family, of which the Horse, the 

 well-known friend of man in every country, is the type ; 

 and all the members of the family are very much alike in 

 general formation and habits. They consist of the Horse 

 (Fig. i) and the Ass, of which the Zebra, the Ouagga, 

 and Dzigguetai are various species. All these agree in 

 the number and arrangement of their teeth. They have 

 six incisors in each jaw, and six molars above and below 

 on either side. These molars have^ square heads, on 

 which the enamel stands up in curved ridges over the 

 whole surface. The males have two small canines in 

 the upper jaw, and sometimes in the lower, but these 

 are not found in the females. A strange circumstance 

 has enabled man to become the master of these powerful 

 and useful animals ; this is the peculiar arrangement of 

 the teeth. There is a space between the incisors and 

 molars which is totally devoid of teeth, and in this we 

 place the "bit," by which we subdue and guide the Horse 

 and the Ass. 



Although the Horse has been employed by man froni 



