134 



THE TWO-TOED ARTIODACTYLA. 



Attempts have been made to introduce 

 camels into other countries besides those in 

 which they are already found, and a stud has 

 existed at San Rossore, near Pisa, for about 

 two centuries, but hitherto it has not rendered 

 any great services. Camels manifestly re- 

 quire the great plains with dry climate, the 



steppes and deserts, and they will prosper in 

 Australia. 1 



The Llamas. 



The Llamas (Auchenia (Lama) ) belong to 

 South America, and are seen at the first 

 glance to differ considerably from camels, 



Fig. 200. — The Llama (Auchenia Lama). 



through being of smaller size, having no 

 hump, and having slender legs. They like- 

 wise differ in having the feet more deeply 

 cleft and the callous pads less developed. 

 The tail is short and rudimentary, and the 

 hair long and thick, which caused the first 

 conquerors of South America to look upon 

 the llamas as sheep. But with respect to 

 the bodily structure there are no other dif- 

 ferences besides those which relate to the 

 slighter build of the llama. The dentition, 

 however, is so far different, in that the first 

 premolar, which adjoins the rather sharp 

 recurved canines, is shed at an early period 

 of life, and the interval between the can- 



ines and the back teeth is thereby rendered 

 greater. 



Of these animals we know four species, two 

 of which, the Guanaco and Vicuna, are still 

 found in the wild condition, while the other 

 two, the Llama and Alpaca, are completely 

 domesticated. They were already subject to 

 man at the time of the conquest. Although 

 all these animals are essentially inhabitants of 

 the mountains, and in particular of the Cor- 

 dilleras, yet some of them also descend to the 

 plains and live there in considerable herds. 



1 Camels have often been employed in exploring the interior of 

 Australia, and are now reared in the colony of South Australia, 

 where they are regularly made use of in the conveyance of stores into 

 the interior, and for other purposes. — Tr. 



