HYRACOIDEA PROBOSCIDEA. 441 



larger area than at present. The Musk-ox, in fact, in Post 

 Tertiary times is known to have extended over the greater part 

 of Europe, remains of it occurring abundantly in certain of the 

 bone-caves of France. As already mentioned, high authorities 

 regard the Musk-ox as being truly a large Sheep, and as being, 

 therefore, referable to the Ovid<z. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



ORDERS OF MAMMALIA Continued. 



HYRACOIDEA AND PROBOSCIDEA. 



ORDER VII. HYRACOIDEA. This is a very small order which 

 has been constituted by Huxley for the reception of two or 

 three little animals, which make up the single genus Hyrax. 

 These have been usually placed in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of the Rhinoceros, to which they have some decided 

 affinities, and they are still retained by Owen in the section of 

 the Perissodactyle Ungulates. 



The order is distinguished by the following characters : 

 There are no canine teeth, and the incisors of the upper jaw 

 are long and curved, and grow from permanent pulps, as they 

 do in the Rodents (such as the Beaver, Rat, &c.) The molar 

 teeth are singularly like those of the Rhinoceros. According 

 to Huxley, the dental formula of the aged animal is 



The fore-feet are tetradactylous, the" hind-feet tridactylous, and 

 all the toes have rounded hoof-like nails, with the exception of 

 the inner toes of the hind-feet, which have an obliquely-curved 

 nail. There are no clavicles. The nose and ears are short, 

 and the tail is represented by a mere tubercle. 



The living species of Hyrax inhabit Syria, Palestine, and 

 South Africa. No fossil representative of the order has as yet 

 been discovered. The Hyracotherium of the Eocene Tertiary, 

 however, received its name from its supposed affinities to the 

 living Hyrax. 



ORDER VIII. PROBOSCIDEA. The eighth order of Mammals 

 is that of the Probostidea, comprising no other living animals 



