140 



VERTEBRATES. 



sickening richness which is usually met with in our domesticated 

 animals. / 



The Yak, of Tartary and Thibet, combines in jtself many 

 of the characteristics of different classes of animals. It has the 

 general form of the ox ; in some points of its configuration, in the 

 character of its tail, in its gait, and by its swiftness, it resbmbles 

 the horse ; it has the fleece of the sheep, the sure-footedness ami 

 activity of the goat, and, lastly, the voice of the pig, or ather a 

 deep grunt resembling that of the pig, whence, doubtless, its Ti9.me 

 of yak. The Yak supplies the place of all the above-mentioned 

 animals in countries where hardly any other domestic animal is 

 known ; it is used under the saddle, employed to cany burdens, 

 and to draw the plough and the cart, is valued as a source of milk, 

 and also for its abundant fleece, out of which a serviceable and 

 water-proof cloth is made. 



The Musk Ox is a native of North America, and is not 

 very unlike the yak in appearance. It is covered with very long 

 hair, which reaches almost to the ground. Its flesh is tolerably 



good when fat, but at other 

 times it smells strongly of 

 musk. The horns of this ani- 

 mal are united together at 

 their base, forming a kind of 

 shield or helmet covering the 

 forehead. When the huntei i 

 wish to shoot the Musk Ox they 

 conceal themselves, and fire 

 without permitting the oxen 

 to see them. The poor animals seem to fancy that the report of 

 the guns is thunder, and crowd together in a mass, so that they 

 afford a good mark. If, however, they catch sight of one of their 

 assailants, they instantly charge at him, and then are very danger- 

 ous enemies. Both this animal and the yak are small, scarcely 

 equalling in size the small Highland cattle, but the thick hair 

 which covers them makes them look larger than they really are. 

 The Gnu, or Wildebeest, inhabits Southern Africa. At first 



Musk Oz. 



