The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-02-13

/
ing to its adaptation 10 domestic life Finally,
! these creatures are dOcile and hardy, will eat
almost any vegetable substance,
AND FURNISH EXCELLENT MEAT.
The still smaller vcuna, clothed on the upper
part of the body i'm fine, curly, reddish brown
wool, chiefly inhabits the bolsons or grassy
valleys that break down from the desert plain
of what is called tho despoblado undulat-
ing plateau from which the peaks Of the Cor
dilleras rise. These animals are pursued by the
/ Indians both for their flesh and wool, and are
| taken in the greatest numbers by means of
| corrais. They herd together like guanacos,
| whom they otherwise closely resemble in hab-
its of life, and there seems 10 be little differ
| cnCe between them in the composition of their
| herds. With vlcuna the latter are commonly
composed either of young males or exclusively
/ of females attended by one old male animal,
I whose principal duty is apparently TO act rs q
4 sentinel. lfhc be wounded" says Wright, " the
I females with him press closely round, and often
fall victims 10 their sympathy; while, il ono of
I the latter is wounded, she is quickly deserted
! by the rest of the herd'
That domcsticated and decidedly sheep-1iko
+ vienna, or mixture of vicuna and guanaco,
called tho pace or alpaca, is kept by the Peru
Wan Indians in large numbers for the sake OF
I lis wool, which is very valuable, and from which
I their own outer clothing was formerly manu- fac.
tnrcd. When shorn. the animal at once reveals
masked 10y the pclage, which, however, is not
/ regularly shed, rs among sheep. either by the
/ al paca llama, probably because the seasons
did not show any marked contrasts in tempcra-
turc within those areas where their later adapt
atoms occurred.
The camel of the Old World is divided into
two species, both of which are confined TO Asia
aud Africa. 1t is probably the case that the
dromedary was developed in Arabia. The ami
mai is a highly-specialized form Of Tylopoda,
/ and as this implies long continued existence
under the conditions to which adaptation has
adjusted il, and it is more likely that its evolu-
ton should have occurred in Africa, whose sub
. aerial surface is the Oldest i'm the world, rather
than anywhere else. Al all events, the present
distribution Of this creature is most probably
duo TO the migraIions Of Arabs. On an average
a dromcdary stands between seven and eight
. feet high at the shoulder, and is 10 or II feet
long: and, moreover, the spinous processes of
the ycrtebrN DO not enter into the
COMPOSITION OF ITS HUMP,
which apparently an adaptive feature. There
are rs many breeds OF hygoens. or riding cam
els as there are Of horses and among these the
Baharlah strain is probably most celebrated for
speed and endurance. None of them, however,
are capable of wthstanding a vertical equa'
torial sun, and for this reason camels arc
rarely lOund between tho line and II
+ degrees north latitude Dromedares have
but "a single pad which lies upon the
under surface OF both toes, and the
hoois or nails are but little developed.
DuriEg hat small portion of the year when
the heritage Is moist the hump increases in
size. Ia fact, II may be considered rs food
magazine just as the rumon with its water
cells forms a reservoir Tor this fluid. The
hump consists chiefly of fat, and entirely of
soft tissues the vcrtcbral processes contribute
nothing 10 its formation. When camel is cut
OIL from anything 10 eat-and he will eat any
thing IN the way Of vegetable matter that he
can masticatc however armed with thorns,
however dry, bad smelling. disgusting aud fire.
quently dangerous it may be-he lives upon his
hump. In other words, the ntrogcaUus mat
ter contained IN this structure is absorbed and
enters the circulation so that If priyation be
long continued the cXcFcsccnce temporarily dis
appears almost entirely. Color is very variable
throughout tire species. out It's prevailing hue
is very like that of desert sand. The writer
has however, seen snow-whitc hygccns, swift,
easy going tboroughbTeds, whose long sweep
ing stride was rs easy IS the gait of burden
camCi5-OT, indeed rs that Of many low.castc
dr0nelaries- was insupportablc. la january
and March, which is the rutting season, the
males often become very vicious, frequently
wOuudiHg cacn other. aud their keepers also,
severely. At this time tho pendulous fold de-
pendent from the soft palate, and which Owen
supposed was accessory 40 moislcning the root
Of the tongue and fauccs, is blown out from the
mouth like n red bladder whenever the animal
IS at All irritable, and has q most repuisiye APP
pearance. Under the influence Of anger all
cames spit saliva aud halEdigcsted food at
whoever 0Acnds them, aud they bite like
tigers; thus il Is very common 10 see them
muzllcd ON the neck and shoulders there Is
a luxuriaHt growth Of fine hair frequently
wOOllyl, while the breast and knees are bare
and covered with call0sities, and the rest Of the
coat is short, except upon the tail CESSATION
IN thc camel lasts about year; the single calf
i weansj at 4 year old, and requires five years
10 arrive "a fuli maturity.
Larger iu all It's dimensions than the drOme-
dairy, Cameius bactriauus, o. the species peculiar
10 Central Asia, Is ~ once distinguished from
the former by its double hump-Onc tnmeiac-
ton lying over tie withers, aud the other in
front Of the .ump. Otherwise, everything that
applies 20 the African group Is true OF the
Asiatic also. except that 40 double-humped
camel ever attains the speed OF a hygccn or
equals u in lghtncss it Is impossible 70 say
grace Of figure or exhibits that general mir of
high breeding which the other frequently dis
plays IN q marked degree.
For the rest, aud with respect to its moral
aud intellectual character, the camel has long
been thc center Of
CLUSTER OF sUPERsrITIoNs
and misrepresentation rather more wild and
erroneous than those which usually hang about
animals that people have taken much interest
ia. The brute has been regarded as mild, saga
ciOus, dDcilc aud ious-endnriag. Something
akin 10 the sympathy aud affection which
uniie5 The Arab and his horse has been like
wise invented about the Bcdouin and his
hyeceu. atid " the ship Of tho desert 50 to
speak, cmbaimed in legend and story, is by
most people accredited with virtues aud en-
d0Wments not one Oi which he possesses ia
the least degree.
There Is no necessity 10 cite authorities in
support VI this statement, since everyone who
has had any persDnal acquaintance with the
ami ma tells the same story. 4 camel, Of what
ever species OF race hc may be, Is commonly
vicious IDIOT. in regions where his progcnitors
have !iged for ages. aud killed themselves gen
Grafton after generation by eating poisonous
plants, this creature has never acquired the
instinct which would teach him TO avoid them,
but las 10 be watched continually TO prevent IL
from committing suicide. With the first pound
that Is laid upon his back. IL il his custom to
spit and gfoan, aud roar, aud If his legs were
not Always lied lac would rise and throw il or
On a desert journey, where 10 wander from the
beaten track means death, cameis have To be
; fastened together aud led otherwise they would
/ at once leave the trail aud stray of into the
surrounding waste, though il may present not
4 the slightest attraction which could account
4 for their imbecilc behavior. They are as Obsti-
( nate aud FAR more exaspcrating than mules,
T and surely no animal can be 80 perVerse as a