136 MAMJIALIA. 



Tlie Bactvian or Two-humped CanicI (C. bactrianus, Lin.),— on;^inally from Central Asia, and which descends 

 much less to the south than 



The Arabian or One-humped Camel (C. dromedarius, Lin.), which is spread from Arabia into all the no'-th oi 

 Africa, aud ;4"re;it part of Syria, Persia, &:c. 



The first is the only one employed in Turkestan, Thibet, &c. ; and is sometimes led as far as Lake Baikal. The 

 second is well known, in consequence of the necessity of employing; it in ciossing- tlie ^neat Desert, being^ the only 

 means of comumnication between the countries on its borders. 



The Two-humped Camel walks less painfully than the other on humid e;TOund ; and is also largfer and strong-er. 

 Previous to renewing' its coat it sheds the whole of its hair. It is the (tne-humped Camel that is the most abste- 

 mious. ITie Dromedary is merely a tij^hter variety of it, better fitted for expedition. 



The flesh and milk of the Camel serve for food, and its hair for garments, to the people wIjo possess it. In rocky 

 or stony counti'ies both species are useless. [Uufl'on considered the humps and callous pads on the le^s of these 

 animals as marks of servitude: on the contrary, they are admirable instances of direct adaptation to their indi- 

 genous locality. The eular|j;cment and convex soles of their feet are expressly fitted for treading; on loose yielding; 

 sand; and their humps are provisions of superabundant nutriment, which are g;radually absorbed and disappear 

 on the occasion of a scarcity of other food, as is pai-ticularly observed at the end of a long; journey. By resting; on 

 their callosities, they are enabled to lie down and repose on a scorching; surface ; and finally, the abundant supply 

 of fluid in their stomach is too obvious a provision, in reference to their peculiar requirements, to need even this 

 passing- allusion.] 



Thi; Lamas (Auchenia, Illiger), — 



Have their two toes separate, and are without humps. Only two clearly distinct species are known, 

 both from the New World, and much smaller than the preceding. 



The Lama, which, in its wild stat^, is termed Guanaco (Camclus llacma, Lin.). — As large as a Stag, mth dense 

 liair of a chestnut-colour, but varying when the aninjal is domesticated. It was the only beast of burden which the 

 Peruvians possessed at the time of the conquest. It can carry a hundred and fifty pounds, but can only make 

 short journeys. The Alpaca is a variety with long woolly hair. 



The Vicugna (Cam. Wc»«»ff, Lin.).— Size of a Sheep, and covered with fulvous wool, of admirably fine texture, 

 and of which valuable stufl^s are manufactured. [The Lamas are mountain animals, peculiar to the Andes. 

 M. Ale. d'Orbigny, who has long resided in their native country, distinguishes lour species of them, viz., the 

 Luuia aud Aljiaca, which have been completely reduced to servitude, and the Guanaco and \'icugna, which con- 

 stantly refuse to copiilate with the others. 



The bones of an animal related to the Lamas, but which must have equalled the Camels of the eastern hemi- 

 sphere in stature, and which had three toes to the fore-feet, have lately been recovered by Mr. Darwin in Parag^uay: 

 the Macrauchenia, Owen] 



The Musks {Moschus,\Ax\.),~~~ 



Are very much less anomalous than the Camels, differing only from ordinary Ruminants in the absence 

 of horns, by a long canine on each side of the upper jaw, which projects beyond the mouth in the 

 males, and lastly, by having a slender pcronrcum, uhich is not present even in the Camel. They are 

 remarkable for their elegance and Ughtness. 



Tlie Pouched Musk {M. moschiferiis, Lin.), is the most celebrated species. Size that of a Roe, and almost 

 without tail; it is completely covered with hairs, so coarse and brittle that they might almost be termed spines ; 

 what particularly distinguishes it, however, is the pouch situate before the prepuce of the male, which contains 

 an odorous substance, well known in medicine and jierfumcry by the appellation mmk. This sj>ecies appears con- 

 fined to that rugged and rocky region from which most of the Asiatic rivers descend, and which extends between 

 Siberia, China, and Thibet. Its habits are nocturnal and solitary, and timidity extreme. It is in Thibet and 

 Tonquin that it yields the best musk; that of the north being almost inodorous. [The difference more probably 

 arises from the amount of adulteration, which is practised to a vast extent.] 



The other Musks have no musk-pouch, [and constit\ite the Trngidus of Bennett]. They inhabit the warm parts 

 of the eastern hemisphere, and are the smallest and most elegant of the Ruminantia. Such are M. pygnuens^ 

 Buff. ; il/. mcmina, Schreb. ; and M.javanictis, BulT. 



All the other Ruminants, at h'a:st of the male sex, have two horns ; that is to say, two pro- 

 mineDCcs of the frontal bones, more or less long, which occur in no other group of animals. 



In some, these prominences are euvercd with an elastic sheath, formed as it were oi" agglu- 

 tinated hair, which continues to increase by layers during life. The name of horn is apphed 

 to the substance of this sheath, and the sheath itself is termed the core. The pro- 

 minence which it eavelopcs grows with it during life, and never falls. Such are the horns of 

 cattle, as Oxen, Sheep, Goats, aud Anteloi)es. 



In others, the prominences arc only covered with a hairy skin, continuous w ith that of the 

 head : these prominences do not fall ; and the Giraffes afford the only exani])le. 



