CHAPTER I.

ARTIODACTYLA--RUMINANTIA:

BOVIDÆ--SHEEP, GOATS, AND GAZELLES. PAGE

Ruminantia--Chewing the Cud--Metaphorical Expression--The Complicated Stomach: Paunch, Honey-comb Bag, Manyplies, Reed--Order of Events in Rumination--Feet and Dentition of Ruminants--Brain--Classification--HORNED RUMINANTS--Divided into two Groups--Difference between them--BOVIDÆ--Horns--Aberrant Members--SHEEP AND GOATS--General Characteristics--Sheep of South-Western Asia--Merino Sheep--Breeds of Great Britain--Dishley, or Improved Leicesters--Mr. Bakewell’s Description--Southdowns, Cheviots, Welsh, and other British Breeds--Table of the Importation of Colonial and Foreign Wool into the United Kingdom--MARCO POLO’S SHEEP--OORIAL--SHAPOO--MOUFLON--AMMON--BURHEL--AMERICAN ARGALI--WILD SHEEP OF BARBARY--THE GOAT--Compared with the Sheep--Descent--Cashmere Goat--IBEXES--PASENG--Their remarkable Horns--Old Theories as to the Use of the Horns--MARKHOOR--TAHR--GAZELLES--General Characteristics--Sir Victor Brooke’s Classification--THE GAZELLE--Appearance--Habits--ARABIAN GAZELLE--PERSIAN GAZELLE--SOEMMERRING’S GAZELLE--GRANT’S GAZELLE--SPRINGBOK--SAÏGA--CHIRU--THE PALLAH, OR IMPALLA--THE INDIAN ANTELOPE, OR BLACK BUCK 1