ANUMAl.S. 511 



CHAP. Vll. 



THE LLAMA. * 



As almost all the quadrupeds of America are smaller than 

 the resembling ones of the ancient continent, so the Uaina, 



* The llamas form a secondary groupe of camels, ofteriiig to the eye of 

 tlie naturalist very small anatomical difl'erences of construction from that of 

 the camel, properly so called. The foot of the llama is not like that of the 

 camel, covered with an elastic sole ^^'hich joins the two toes. From the absence 

 of this entire sole, the species of South America is enabled to climb the pro. 

 cipices of the Andes which are its native region, the toes having strongniiils, 

 each of which has a tliick cushion, or pad below. The llama also wants the s:'- 

 cond canine tooth in the lower jaw ; — but this difference is not by some con- 

 sidered such as to require a separation of the genus — for deer, of various spe- 

 cies, Iiave the same deviation from the general type. Again, the absence of 

 the biunp in the llama species is not an anatomical difl'erence which constitutes 

 a character ; — for as the skeleton of the Bactrian camel with two humps does 

 not differ from that of the Arabian with one, so does the arrangement of the 

 bones of the llama agree precisely with the conformation of the camel. The 

 zebu is an ox although he has a hump. The ears of the llama are longer, and the 

 tail shorter than those of the camel. The similarities which determuie the genus 

 to which the camels and the llamas belong are principally these ; — 1. Each spe- 

 cies has very remarkable peculiarities connected with the economy of their 

 reproduction in which they differ from all other animals. 2. The camel 

 and the llama d ft'er also from every other species of the class of ruminating 

 animals in the want of horns, and in having two large incisive teeth, on each 

 side of the upper jaw. 3. Tlie stomachs of the camel and the llama are, in 

 some degree similarly constructed. Father Feuillee has described the 

 stomach of the llama; and maintains that it has not only a large reservoir 

 for caiTying water, but that, like the stomach of the camel, it has the same 

 machinery for allowing the separation of solid from liquid ahment. Sir 

 Everard Home, however, describes this portion of tlie llama's stomach aa 

 only partially resembling that of the camel. He says, " 1 be stomach has a 

 |iortion of it, as it were, intended to resemble the reservoirs for water in the 

 cinnel ; but these have no depth, are only superficial cells, and have no mus- 

 cular apparatus to close their mouths, and allow the solid food to pass into the 

 fourth cavity, or truly digesting stomach, without going into these cells.' 

 But that the llama has an internal mechanism for retaining water or secret, 

 ing a liquid substance, is certain ; for ou the summits of the Andes they are 

 far above any lakes ; and it has been observed that in a state of domestica- 

 tion they never exhibit a desire to drink, whilst they can obtain gxeen p:u*- 

 tiu-e. 4. The llama, according to ^loliiia, {Storia Nat. del Chili] has a con- 

 formation resembling the camel's hiu"]), being provided with an excess of 

 nutritive matter, which lies in a thick bed of fat under the skin, and is ab- 

 suroed as a compensation foi' an occasional want of tood. These rcmarkablo 



