1842.] On the Wool of the Bactrian, or two- humped Camel. 1183 



at that place, the name having been applied to the species in former 

 times, when Kuzzack was a dependency of Bagdad. 



They are said to be numerous in their own proper country, and not 

 uncommon even in Bokhara, where they are crossed with the Drome- 

 dary, (Camelus Dromedarius,) and produce the (Hybrid) Bokhara 

 camel, an animal possessing enormous muscular power. 



This cross varies in appearance according to the species of the dam ; 

 if she be a true camel, (Camelus Bactrianus, female,) then the pro- 

 duce partakes in its physiognomy, in a great degree of the camel, 

 possessing a peculiar mildness in its expression, and a fineness in its 

 general proportions. The head is of a light, blood make, with long 

 hair upon the crown, nape, and along the fore part of the neck and 

 throat, from the chin to the chest; also rather long and curly upon 

 the fore arm ; the tail too preserves more of the characters which are 

 observable in the Camel, having the longitudinal line of hairs down 

 the centre, which in the Dromedary are always wanting. 



On the other hand, if the dam be a Dromedary, (Camelus Drome- 

 darius, female,) the produce partakes more of the characters of that species 

 than of those which distinguish the two-humped Camel. The hair 

 is scarcely more elongated than the Dromedary, and is nearly of the 

 same quality; but the animal is enormously powerful of limb and 

 carcase, and well calculated to perform long and fatiguing journies 

 through the hilly tracts between Bokhara, Herat, and Cabul. 



The hump, in the cross-breed, is subject to great variation ; some- 

 times appearing in the form of one long prominent ridge, covering 

 the back from the withers to the loins, with a wide notch or depres- 

 sion in the centre, serving to mark the partial transition from the two, 

 to the one humped species, or shewing that the space which intervenes 

 between the humps of the true camel, is nearly filled up and obli- 

 terated by the intervention of the hump of the Dromedary. 



At other times, there is to all appearance but one hump, situated 

 far back upon the loins, like the posterior hump of the Bactrian 

 Camel ; but a closer inspection, and the application of the hand shews, 

 that the portion of the back lying between this hump and the withers, 

 although apparently entire, and not all prominently raised, is never- 

 theless divided, sometimes in one, sometimes in two places, sufficient- 

 ly separated to admit of the thickness of the open hand being placed 



