113 ON THE FOSSIL CAMEL 



however are, as is normal in Ruminants, in number twenty-four; six on each 

 side in the upper, and the same in the lower jaw. T]ie first molar, which 

 from having the simple and pointed form of a canine tooth has by some 

 Naturalists been termed a second canine, is one of the chief peculiarities of 

 the Camel. It is situated at some distance from the remaining molars, 

 which, in number five, are in a continuous series ; in the lower jaw the 2d 

 molar or that which may be considered the first of the series, is described 

 by CuviER as falling out at an early age : and not being replaced, it leaves 

 a series of four teeth only. 



We have examined a number of skulls of the common or Arabian 

 Camel, and have only found one example of the existence of this 2d molar 

 in the lower jaw ; the series in all other cases consisting of four, with a 

 wide intervening space between the 1st and 3d. That it is a part of the 

 true series is undoubted from its existence in the specimen above alluded 

 to. It is exceedingly small and rudimentary. Its position is centrical on 

 the space between the 1st and 3d of the whole series. 



The skull in which we have observed this small and deciduous tooth 

 is from a fine specimen of the Camel procured at Hissar. The animal 

 to which it belonged was full grown, we should say somewhat passed the 

 adult state, judging from the bones of the cranium being anchylozed and 

 a consequent absence of sutures. There is a greater development of all 

 the distinctive characters in this specimen in depth of maxillaries ; com- 

 parative dimensions of the cranial and facial portions, &c. arising from the 

 superior growth to which the animal has attained, and to the superior class 

 of animal from which it was selected ; and the space occupied by the max- 

 illary bone in the external nasal opening is also smaller than we have 

 observed in any other specimen. 



In the upper jaw the line of molars consists of one sharp pointed tooth 

 similar to a canine, and situated at some distance in front of the others, 

 which are in a continuous series; the two first being single ban'el'd, and the 

 three last, or the three true molars, double barrel'd. 



