CAM 



CAM 



cipally upon the foliage of trees. It is 

 mild and inoffensive, and in all cases of 

 danger has recourse, in tiie first instance, 

 to flight ; when obliged to defend itself, 

 however, it employs very forcible kick- 

 ing. Its general pace is a brisk trot. 

 Giraffes are sometimes seen in small 

 groups of six or seven. They were first 

 introduced into Europe at the Circean 

 games, by Julius Caesar, and in the six- 

 teenth century one was presented to 

 Laurentiusde Medicis by the Dey of Tu- 

 nis. The most accurate descrjber of this 

 animal is La Vaillant. See Plate IV. fig. 1. 

 CAMELOPARDALUS, a new constel- 

 lation of the northern hemisphere, form- 

 ed by Hevelius, consisting of thirty-two 

 stars, first observed by him. It is situated 

 between Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Perseus, 

 the two Bears, and Draco. See ASTBO- 



CAMELUS, camel, in natural history, a 

 genus of the Mammalia, of the order Pe- 

 cora. The generic character: horns 

 none ; six front teeth in the lower jaw, 

 thin and broad ; the canine teeth distant, 

 three in the upper jaw, and in the lower 

 two ; upper lip divided. There are se- 

 ven species enumerated by Shaw, of 

 which we shall briefly notice the follow- 

 ing: C. dromedarius, or Arabian camel: 

 its general appearance, particularly in 

 consequence of the dorsal bunch, gives 

 the idea of deformity, o; even of mon- 

 strosity ; but in some attitudes, its aspect 

 is far from inelegant. It inhabits various 

 parts of Asia and Africa, is found even in 

 Jamaica and Barbadoes, and is easily do- 

 mesticated. Even a country, such as Ara- 

 bia, destitute of water and of verdure, 

 and under a burning sun, where the tra- 

 veller seldom breathes under a shade, 

 and feels lost in a boundless expanse of 

 desolation,by tne assistance of the camel, 

 is rendered habitable, and the seat of in- 

 dependence and comfort. These animals 

 are trained with great assiduity by the 

 Arabs. They will carry a weight of 

 1200/fo.s, and have been known to com- 

 plete a journey of 300 leagues within 

 eight days. They will travel eight or nine 

 days w ithout water, which they scent at 

 the ciisiance of half a league, and drink 

 most copiously when they reach it. Deli- 

 cate food is far from being requisite for 

 them, and they seem even to prefer the 

 thorns and nettles of the wilderness ; and 

 while they find plants to brouse, can dis- 

 pense easily with- the want of drink. 

 They have, besides the four stomachs 

 common to all ruminating animals, a fifth, 

 in which they preserve a great quantity 

 of water, unmixed with the liquors of the 



body and the digestive juices, and from 

 which, by the contraction of certain mus- 

 cles, they make the water mount into 

 their stomachs and throats, to macerate 

 their dry food. 



Travellers in the East, when hard 

 pressed with thirst, have killed their ca- 

 mels, to obtain a supply from this natural 

 and singular receptacle. 



In Turkey, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, and 

 Barbary, camels are almost uniformly em- 

 ployed in the conveyance of merchandize. 

 They are considered as living carriages, 

 and their burden is often not taken off 

 during their sleep. They kneel down to 

 be loaded and unloaded, at the command 

 of their keepers, and are the most pa- 

 tient, laborious, and valuable of slaves. 

 Their milk, and even their flesh, are used 

 by the Arabians for food. Their hair is 

 extremely soft, and wrought into a great 

 variety of the most useful, and indeed 

 costly stuffs. See Mammalia, Plate IV. 

 fig 3. 



C. bactrianus, the Bactrian camel. 

 This is somewhat larger and swifter than 

 the former, and has on its back two 

 bunches. In the deserts bordering on 

 China it is found wild, as also m the north 

 of India, whence it is imported into Ara- 

 bia, chiefly for the use of the great and 

 opulent. In China a particular breed of 

 them is distinguished by the designation 

 of" Camels with feet of wind." Fig. 2. 



C. glama. These animals have by some 

 authors been called the Peruvian sheep. 

 They are particularly abundant in Peru, 

 feeding in immense herds on the bleak- 

 est mountains. Their size is about that 

 of a stag. They were the only beasts of 

 burden among the ancient Peruvians, arid 

 will carry a weight of 150 pounds. This 

 animal can abstain from water four or five 

 days, and maybe supported on the coars- 

 est food, and that in very small quantity. 

 When irritated, it endeavours to bite, 

 and ejects an acrimonious and caustic 

 saliva. Its flesh is fat, and excellently 

 flavoured. 



C. vicugna, or purplish brown camel, 

 abounds in the highest mountains of the 

 Indies. It is smaller and more slender 

 than the former, and tamed only with 

 considerable difficulty. It will bear small 

 burdens. Its hair is of admirable softness 

 and silkiness on the breast, particu- 

 larly wavy and woolly, and extending 

 three inches in length. It is wrought in- 

 to cloth of the most delicate fineness and 

 beauty. The vicugna and the paco, ano- 

 ther species of the camel,are both caught 

 by the Peruvians, by the simple process 

 of stretching across the narrow passes of 



