only in external form. The cylindrical body has no distinct neck, the comparatively large head uniting directly with

the cylindrical body, which terminates in the tail with horizontally placed fins. No external signs of hind limbs exist,

while the fore limbs are short and capable of being moved only as a whole. External ears are also absent. The eyes are exceedingly small, those of individuals attaining a length of from fifty to eighty feet, being in some species, at least, but little larger than those of an ox. These are often placed at the corners of the mouth. The nasal openings, often known as blow-holes, are situated on the forehead, and as the whale comes to the surface for air afford an outlet for the stream of breath and vapor often blown high in the air-a process known as spouting. In some of the whales, such as the dolphin, porpoise, and sperm-whales, the teeth persist throughout life, but in most of the larger species they never "cut" the gum, but early disappear, and their place is taken by large numbers of whalebone plates with frayed edges which act as strainers. The smaller-toothed forms (porpoises, dolphins, and several species of grampus) are frequently seen close to the shore, where they are usually actively engaged in capturing fish. On the other hand, the larger species, such as the humpback, right whale, and sulfurbottom, not uncommon along our coasts, especially to the northward, live on much smaller organisms. With open mouth these whales swim through the water until they collect a sufficient quantity of jelly-fishes, snails, and crustacea, then closing the mouth strain out the water through the whalebone fringes and swallow the residue.

As noted above, the animals of this order are almost wholly devoid of hair, but the heat of the body is retained by a thick layer of fat beneath the skin. This "blubber" also gives lightness to the body (as do the voluminous lungs), and, furthermore, yields large quantities of oil, which in former times made "whale-fishing" a profitable industry. The whales bear one, rarely two offspring, which are solicitously attended by the mother for a long time. The smaller species grow to a length of from five or eight feet (porpoises, dolphins) to twice this size (grampuses); while the larger whales, by far the largest of animals, range from

thirty to over a hundred feet in length with a weight of many tons.

228. Hoofed mammals (Ungulata).—The order of hoofed animals or ungulates includes a large number of forms like the zebra, elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, deer, and several other wild species, some of which are domesticated, such as horses, sheep, goats, and cattle. All of these animals walk on the tips of their toes, and the claws have become developed into hoofs. The order is divided into the oddtoed forms (perissodactyls), such as the rhinoceros with three toes and the horse with one, and the even-toed (artiodactyls), as the pigs with four, and the ox, deer, etc., with two toes. The even-toed forms are again divided into those which chew the cud (ruminants) and those which do not (non-ruminants). No living native odd-toed mammal exists in this country, and of the wild even-toed species all are ruminants. In the members of this latter group the swallowed food passes into a capacious sac (the paunch), is thoroughly moistened, and passed into the second division. (the honeycomb), later to be regurgitated and ground by the powerful molars. It is then reswallowed, and undergoes successive treatment in the other two divisions of the stomach (the manyplies and reed) before entering the intestine.

Among the North American ruminants, the deer family (Cervida) is the best represented. In the more unsettled regions of the East the red deer is still common, and the same may be said of the white-tailed, blacktailed, and mule-deer of the West. Among the woods and lakes to the northward live the reindeer and caribou, and the largest of the deer family, the moose, which attains the size of the horse. Of nearly the same size is the wapiti or elk. In all of the above-mentioned species the horns, if present, are confined to the male (except in the reindeer), and are annually shed after the breeding

season.

The native hollow-horned ruminants (Bovidae) are at present confined to the Western plains, and comprise the pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), the wary bighorn or Rocky Mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis), living in mountain fastnesses, and the buffalo or bison (Bison americanus). All of these species were formerly abundant, especially the pronghorn and buffalo, which roamed the plains by thousands, but their extermination has been nearly complete, small herds only persisting in a few wild, inaccessible regions, or protected in parks.

Our domestic sheep and cattle are probably the descendants of several wild species living in Europe and other portions of the world. Of the domesticated ungulates the horse is the direct descendant of Asiatic wild breeds; while the pig traces its ancestry back to the wild boar (Sus scrofa) of Europe, and probably a native species (S. indicus) of eastern Asia.

229. Flesh-eating mammals (Fera).-The order of Fera or Carnivora is typically exemplified by such animals as the lions, tigers, bears, dogs, cats, and seals, forms which differ from all other mammals by the large size of the canine teeth (often called dog-teeth) and the molars, which are adapted for cutting, not crushing. The limbs, terminated by four or five flexible digits, bear well-developed claws, which, together with the teeth, serve for tearing the prey. While the bears shuffle along on the soles of their feet, the greater number of species, as illustrated by the dog and cat, tread noiselessly on tiptoe. Almost all are fierce and bold, with remarkably keen senses and quick intelligence, and are the dreaded enemies of all other orders of mammals.

The largest land-inhabiting carnivora are the bears, of which the brown or cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus), inhabiting North America generally where not extermi nated, and the huge grizzly (Ursus horribilis) of the Western mountains, are the best-known species. The former lives on berries and juicy herbs, while the grizzly prefers

the flesh of animals which it kills. The raccoon (Fig. 136) (Procyon lotor) is found in wooded districts all over the United States, and its general appearance and thieving propensities are well known. Almost everything is accept

able as an article of food, and its fondness for poultry and vegetables makes it an unmitigated nuisance. The otters, skunks, badgers, wolverenes, sables, minks, and weasels, while differing considerably in general appearance and habits, nev