144 



MAMMALIA. 



honis have not been sufficiently described. Tliia animal, mentioned by ^lian, waa originally from the 

 mountains of Tliibet. Its tail constitutes the standard, still used by the Turks to distinguish their superior 



officers. 



The Cape Buffalo (Bos caffcr^ Sparm.).— Very 

 large horns, directed outward and downward and 

 then turned upward, flattened, and so large at 

 base that they nearly cover the forehead, leavin^'■ 

 only a triangular space, the point of which is 

 above. It is a very large and extremely ferocious 

 animal, which inhabits the woods of Catfraria. 

 [Tliere are other African Bufl'alues of inferior size, 

 a female of one of which {B. bracln/ceros. Gray), 

 or the Short-horned Buffalo, with very large 

 ears and well-proportioned limbs, is now li\ing in 

 London.] Lastly, 



The Musk Ox {Bos moschatus, Gm. [^Ovibos mor.- 

 ckaliis, Blainv.]). — Horns approximated and di- 

 rected as in tlie Cape Buffalo, but meeting on the 

 forehead by a straight line : those of the femal.-; 

 smaller and separated. Tlie forehead convex, and 

 extremity of the muzzle hairy. It stands low, and 

 is covered with long hair, that reaches the ground. 

 Tail extremely short. It difluses more strongly 

 the musky odour common to the whole genus, 

 [and which is also particularly noticeable in the 

 European Bison]. Inhabits the coldest regions 

 of North America, where alone it has been seen, 

 though its skull and bones are sometimes carried 

 by the ice to Siberia. 



Fin- 6.5.— Catic Buffalo. 



THE NINTH ORDER OF MAMMALIANS,— 



CETACEA,— 



Consists of animals mthout liind-limbs : the trunk being continued by a thick tail, which 



terminates in a liorizontal cartilaginous fin, while the head is connected to the body by so 



short and thick a neck, tliat no diminution of 



its circumference is perceptilde : tliis neck 



ccmsists of very slender cervical vertebra;, that 



are pai-tly auchylosed or soldered together. 



Tlie first bones of their anterior extremities 



are shortened, and the succeeding ones Hattened 



and enveloped m a tendinous membrane, which 



reduces them to the condition of true fi 



Hence the external form is absolutely that of 



fishes, exee|)t that the hitter liave the tail-fin - ,. 



vertical. They alwavs therefore remain in the ^^^-^ 



water ; but as they breathe by lungs, they are 



compelled to return frequently to tlie surface rig. c6.-s»immi,i5 ?,„■„( ivi,„.e. 



to take in fresh supplies of air.* Their warm blood ; ears that open externally, thouMi by 



very small orifices ; their viviparous generation, mamma; by which they suckle their younc, 



and all the details of their anatomy, sufficiently distinguish them from fishes. 



• The larger species, liowcvcr, will remrviii mure Ihnn an hoi 

 beneath the surfaLC : in refertiice tn ivhich (multy, thene anim* 

 have capaeiooB reservolrB for arterial blood alonjf the dorsal reifioi 

 and even within the head: hence, to oxygenate the great volume i 



blood rcqnircH to e 

 ccrl-iin regular peri 

 purpose.— Kd. 



