LOOPH CHARACTERS 
original five, and only one is left in the horse and its 
allies, and two in the oxen and deer—that is, in each 
case one or two perfect toes; for there are vestiges of 
two others in each case, with certain exceptions, where 
“perierunt eam ruine, the very rudiments are tiny.” 
The Perissodactyles embrace the horses, rhinoceroses, 
and tapirs, which are sufficiently dealt with in the pages 
which follow. The Artiodactyles are first of all divisible 
into two main groups, the Bunodontia and the Seleno- 
dontia. These names are derived from the characters 
of the molar teeth, which are tubercular in the one 
upon their grinding surfaces, and with a half-moon-like 
pattern in the other. The Bunodonts are the pigs and 
the hippopotamus ; the Selenodontia are again divisible 
into four groups, viz. Tragulide (see kanchil), 
Giraffide (see giraffe), Camelide (see lama), and the 
Pecora. The Pecora itself consists of the hollow-horned 
ruminants (see urus) and the solid-horned ruminants (see 
elk). The former embraces the antelopes, goats, sheep, 
and oxen, the latter the deer. The further character- 
istics of these various types is given under the descrip- 
tion of those selected for comment. 
THE TAPIR 
This swarthy beast has undoubtedly a pig-like aspect. 
This is induced by its rotund form, its short legs with 
their three or four toes, the curtailment of the tail, and 
perhaps the rather small eyes. These appearances, 
however, are quite deceptive ; the nearest living allies 
of the tapir are the horse and the rhinoceros. With 
these the tapir forms a subdivision of the Ungulate 
animals known as the Perissodactyla, characterized, as 
far as external characters go, mainly by the fact that 
among the fingers and toes one median finger or toe is 
predominant and occupies the median axis of the limb, 
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