CAMELS 
63 
when I saw them Jflop down on their knees every other five 
minutes. 
One of my camels now showed signs of caving in. The 
camel, one of the most useful animals in the world, is born 
in Somaliland about the end of May, the period of gestation 
being one year. The best animals are selected to be 
mothers. These are often very fine beasts, having enormous 
humps, and have never carried a load. ^ The udder is nearly 
as large as that of a small cow, and has four teats. The 
Somali camel will not carry much more than 275 pounds. 
It can be easily seen when a camel is overladen, as he will 
refuse to rise. Never take a camel with a sore back, or one 
that flinches when his back is touched, showing that he has 
lately had a sore back. Also look for sores at the root of 
his tail. Both these sores are caused by careless loading.^ 
Watch him kneel. If he flops down all on one side, and 
does not kneel with his fore and hind legs together, don’t 
have him : he has some internal ailment. When sick, dose 
your camel with soup at night, and keep him separate from 
the others. A camel will often eat some poisonous food, 
after which he will refuse to eat, grow to ‘a mere skeleton, 
and finally die. I have heard of no cure in this case. The 
age of a camel is judged by his teeth. He has no incisor 
teeth until the end of the third year ; after this two appear. 
When five he has four ; when six years old he has six ; at 
eight he has canines and molars. A camel will eat any 
green vegetation, but you will tell by his hump if he is 
well fed, and not overworked — it will be full and big. The 
stomach of the camel is a sort of store-chest, holding water 
and food; 'the former will amount to 15 pints, on the 
average, on examination when dead. This is not to be 
forgotten when dying of thirst, for the water is wholesome, 
though of a turbid green colour. A Somali camel will go 
fifteen, twenty, or even twenty-five days without water 
when working, and when he drinks, which should be once 
in seven days— -not more — he takes in 5 gallons. Carbolic 
oil is a good thing for sore backs of camels and ponies, or 
