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Show Making Use of Our Camels I A Sou A llama THERE seems to be little doubt of the fact that camels, of which we are a. customed to think as Old World animals, originated in America. An-( An-( lently they were perhaps the most numerous of mammals in the territory between tho Mississippi River and tho Rocky Mountains, as proved by their bones dug out of rocks, some of them being no bigger than Jack rabbits. We have today on this continent four species of the camel tribe, all of them native to South America. Largest of them is the llama, which in that part of the world is extensively used as a benst of burden The others are the guanaco, the vicuna (which is the smallest, hardly bigger than a sheep) and the alpaca. Nobody has ever seen an alpaca !n this country, unless In a menagerie or "zoo." but we have long been acquainted ac-quainted with its wonderful fleece, very fine and lustrous, which fetches nearly four times the price of the best merino wool. Indeed, it is commercially rated above mohair the wool of the Angora goat. In suitable regions (which we do not lack) all four of these "cameloid.s" could doubtless be introduced and bred within our borders and turned to use ful account. The vicuna, In South America, Is as yet virtually a wild ani mal, though not hard to tame, and tho alpaca is only partly domesticated. Tho alpaca Industry reaches its highest development in southeast Peru and northwest Bolivia, in and around the valley of Lake Tltlcaca, which Is more than two miles abo e the sea. It Is an arid region with great diversity of cilmates, ranging from subtropical at the lake level to arctic on the lofty mountain slopes. But the alpaca se- H lects its own zone of temperature by j H going higher in summer and descend- 1 H ing to lower altitudes In winter. I H Conditions very similar in respect to climate, elevation and vegetation H are found in the vast area between '. H the Rockies and the Sierras. There al- H pacaa would doubtless multiply j H greatly, the herds (in which they are I accustomed to wander) maintaining themselves on coarse grass and herb- t, , I age, for the consumption of which the j I peculiar construction of their mouths Ii H and stomachs adapts them The sue- I culent vegetation of warmer and more I humid climates does not suit the jd I health of any species of the camel fl family. j I Alp s are remarkably active and H vigorous beasts, thriving where cattle I and sheep could hardly exist. They I fl have two-toed feet, like the camel, and f H similar teeth I Ljj H |