THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 51 



seems as if encased by one hoof, divided in the middle, 

 and they arc hence said to be cloven-footed. (3) They 

 have incisor teeth only on the lower jaw, which work 

 against a sort of hardened cushion in the jaw above, thus 

 enabling them to crop grass and herbage from the ground, 

 for all the Ruminants are distinctly herbivorous. Rumi-. 

 nants are divided into two groups viz., those without 

 horns, and those having horns, either in both sexes, or in 

 the male only. 



Ruminants without Horns. These differ from the 

 others in the formation of their stomach, in their teeth, 

 and in their feet. They consist of the Camel and the 

 Musk. 



The Camel, which has been termed the ship of the 

 desert, is indeed a most useful animal to the Eastern 

 nations. Its feet arc not cloven, and have lengthened 

 toes and very small hoofs ; a flattened surface is thus 

 formed, on the underneath part of which is a large soft 

 sole or pad, covered with a hard skin. Its fore and hind 

 limbs and its chest are furnished with pads, on which it 

 rests when kneeling down. The peculiar construction of 

 the thin feet enables them to travel over the sandy deserts 

 with wonderful rapidity. Even with a weight of seven or 

 eight hundred pounds they will travel at the rate of thirty 

 miles a day ; but when bearing a man only, the swift 

 Camel accomplishes from seventy to a hundred miles in 

 twenty-four hours. The stomach of the Camel is not 

 arranged as in the ruminants proper, but is specially 

 adapted for carrying a great quantity of water being 

 divided into numerous compartments or cells so that he 

 can sustain life without drinking for ten or twelve days ; 

 and if his food fails as well if the poor wayfaring Arab 

 cannot obtain for his hungering beast even a few beans or 

 dates, and the scanty stock of cakes he brought with him 

 is exhausted even for this strait the kindly hand of nature 



