142 THE DROMEDARY. 
hand greedily devours the leaves of the oak) 
the cork oak, and the alder, and feeds witk 
manifest delight on every hard and dry sub' 
stance which he can find, such as the thorU) 
the thistle, and the broom. He easily fills hi® 
small and contracted stomach, and ruminate^ 
his food : he is provided with a bag or 
servoir of water to serve him in time of need) 
having the power to force the liquid back 
into his first stomach, and even to his moutb' 
to allay his thirst, and soften by ruminatic’’ 
the hard dry herbs upon which he feed^' 
The large lump which he has on his back ’’ 
a mass of fat destined to supply the want 
food by absorption.” 
The dromedary is more numerous 
more extensively diffused than the camel ; 
latter being seldom found except in Arabia 
and some parts of the Levant, while tb*^ 
former is spread over the whole of westc^’ 
Asia and the north of Africa. Though 
