186 THE LOG OF THE SUN 



f ortaer days the scent from the gland was an in- 

 stinctive guide which kept members of the herd 

 together. 



"Civet," which is obtained from the civet cat, 

 and "musk," from the queer little hornless musk 

 deer, are secretions of glands. It has been sug- 

 gested that the defenceless musk deer escapes 

 many of its enemies by the similarity of its secre- 

 tion to the musky odour of crocodiles. In many 

 animals which live together in herds, such as the 

 antelope and deer, and which have neither bright 

 colours nor far-reaching calls to aid straying 

 members to regain the flock, there are large and 

 active scent glands. The next time you see a 

 live antelope in a zoological park, or even a 

 stuffed specimen, look closely at the head, and be- 

 tween the eye and the nostril a large opening will 

 be seen on each side, which, in the living animal, 

 closes now and then, a flap of skin shutting it 

 tight. 



Among pigs the fierce peccary is a very social 

 animal, going in large packs ; and on the back of 

 each of these creatures is found a large gland 

 from which a clear watery fluid is secreted. Dogs 

 and wolves also have their odour-secreting glands 

 on the back, and the "wolf -pack" is proverbial. 



The gland of the elephant is on the temple, and 

 secretes only when the animal is in a dangerous 

 mood, a hint, therefore, of opposite significance 

 to that of the herding animals, as this says, "Let 



