The Camel. 19 



broad toes, furnished with large, soft, and very elastic 

 cushions beneath, so as to afford a large surface, 

 and prevent the animal from sinking in the loose 

 sand. 



Then, as the animal must be loaded and un- 

 loaded when in a kneeling position, the knees and 

 breast are furnished with thick callous pads, so that 

 the skin is not injured by the contact with the rough 

 ground. 



A curious part of the structure of the camel is found 

 in the hump, which is not, as many think, a malforma- 

 tion of the back, for the spine is as straight as that 

 of any other animal, but is merely a fleshy and fatty 

 protuberance, connected in some strange way with 

 the health of its owner. The Arab always judges the 

 state of his camel by the hump, and will not allow 

 the animal to start upon a long journey unless the 

 hump is in perfect condition. 



The chief use of the hump seems to lie in its power 

 of nourishing the animal when other food is scarce. 

 During a long desert journey, for example, the camels 

 are very sparingly fed, and appear to subsist upon the 

 nourishment derived from the hump, which gradually 

 diminishes in size, until at the end of the journey it 

 is scarcely visible, not regaining its former propor- 

 tions until after two or three months of careful 

 feeding. 



In a somewhat similar manner, the hibernating 

 animals exist without food for several months. They 

 accumulate a quantity of fat largely in excess of the 

 normal amount, and by the absorbing of the super- 

 abundant fat into the body, are enabled to supply the 

 waste of tissue. 



Another noticeable point in the structure of the 

 camel is to be found in the formation of the eyes and 

 nostrils, the former of which are provided with long 



