186 THE LOG OF THE SUN 



former days the scent from the gland was an in- 

 stinctive guide which kept members of the herd 

 together. 



" Civet," which is obtained from the civet cat, 

 and "musk," from the queer little hornless musk 

 deer, are secretions of glands. It has been sug- 

 gested that the defenceless musk deer escapes 

 many of its enemies by the similarity of its secre- 

 tion to the musky odour of crocodiles. In many 

 animals which live together in herds, such as the 

 antelope and deer, and which have neither bright 

 colours nor far-reaching calls to aid straying 

 members to regain the flock, there are large and 

 active scent glands. The next time you see a 

 live antelope in a zoological park, or even a 

 stuffed specimen, look closely at the head, and be- 

 tween the eye and the nostril a large opening will 

 be seen on each side, which, in the living animal, 

 closes now and then, a flap of skin shutting it 

 tight. 



Among pigs the fierce peccary is a very social 

 animal, going in large packs ; and on the back of 

 each of these creatures is found a large gland 

 from which a clear watery fluid is secreted. Dogs 

 and wolves also have their odour-secreting glands 

 on the back, and the "wolf -pack" is proverbial. 



The gland of the elephant is on the temple, and 

 secretes only when the animal is in a dangerous 

 mood, a hint, therefore, of opposite significance 

 to that of the herding animals, as this says, "Let 



