CAMELS. LAMAS. 109 



to twenty-two instead of twenty-four. The conformation of their 

 extremities is equally characteristic, for their feet are not cloven, 

 and they have very small hoofs ; the neck is very long, their limbs 

 badly proportioned, and their upper lip inflated and cleft. Their 

 gentleness is remarkable. 



14. CAMELS PROPERLY so CALLED, Caaielus, are distinguished 

 by the enormous humps of fat they have on the back; which 

 makes them appear hump-backed, and by the structure of their 

 feet which are admirably adapted for travelling on the sand, so 

 common in the regions inhabited by these animals : in fact, their 

 two toes are joined underneath nearly to their ends by a thick, 

 flexible sole. 



15. These animals belong to the warm parts of the old conti- 

 nent. They are celebrated for their docility, for the faculty 

 which they possess of sustaining long journeys, though heavily 

 laden, and particularly for their great gentleness Camels, with- 

 out which, perhaps man never could have traversed the vast, 

 sandy deserts which are found in Asia and Africa, have the 

 faculty of passing several days without drinking, which is proba- 

 bly owing to the presence of a number of cells in the parietes of 

 the paunch, where the water is retained or continually produced ; 

 on this account they have been called ships oj the desert. 



16. The two principal species of the genus of camels are; the 

 Bactrian Camel, or Camel with two humps, and Arabian Camel, 

 or Camel with one hump, which is called the Dromedary, 

 Came lus Dromedarhis. 



" The variety to which the name of Dromedary properly belongs, 

 with the weight of a man, only, can perform very lengthened 

 journeys, and at a very rapid quick pace. Several of these attend 

 the caravans when crossing any of the African deserts, perform- 

 ing the offices of scouts and keeping a look out both for danger 

 from the wandering tribes, and for the approach to the water 

 stations. These will travel from seventy to one hundred and 

 twenty miles in the twenty four hours. 



" It is related by a modern traveller,' That one of these animals 

 will in one night, and through a level country, traverse as much 

 ground as any simple horse can perform in ten. It was often 

 affirmed to him by the Arabs and Moors, that it makes nothing of 

 holding its rapid pace, which is a most violent hard trot, for four 

 and twenty hours upon a stretch, without showing the least sign 



14. How are Camels properly so called recognised ? 



15. What is the general character of the Camel ? What peculiar faculty 

 is possessed by the Camel ? How do you account for the Camel being able 

 to pass several days without drinking ? 



16. What are the principal species of the genus Camel? 



