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Natural History Books -
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylo
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Wednesday, 11 November 2009 11:06 |
Animals of small size and delicate graceful form, which are separated
from the deer and oxen by certain peculiarities which approximate
them to the swine in their feet. They are, however, ruminants, having
the complex stomach, composed of paunch, honeycomb-bag and reed, the
manyplies being almost rudimentary; but in the true ruminants the
two centre metacarpals are fused into a single bone, whilst the outer
ones are rudimentary. In the pig all the metacarpal bones are
distinct, and the African Tragulus closely resembles it. The Asiatic
ones have the two centre bones fused, but the inner and outer ones
are entire and distinct as in the swine. The legs are, however,
remarkably delicate, and so slight as to be not much thicker than
an ordinary lead pencil. The males have pendant tusks, like those
of the musk and rib-faced deer.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 November 2009 11:06 |