40 Mr. W. S. Macleay on the Comparative Anatomy 



the following words of Hermann : — " Sed Dasypodis Manisque 

 armatum corpus et in globum sese contrahendi instinctus ex 

 eddem Mammalium classe statim Erinaceura revocant Dasypodi 

 connexum quique non mod6 proximfe distantes Sorices Talpas- 

 qiie sed et interjects Hystrice omnem Glirium familiam post se 

 trahit." I shall next, in compliance with this hint, place the' 

 principal animals of the three groups in such a way as that the 

 zoologist can determine for himself, whether any or what rela- 

 tions of analogy exist between them. 



EDENTATA Cuv. GLIRES Linn. INSECTIVORA. 



/-Echidna* Cuv Echimys Geof. Mygale Cuv. 



■s Ornithorhynchus Bl. . . . Spalax Guild Talpa L. 



^Myrmecophaga L Sciurus L Tupaia Raff. 



J Chlamyphorus Har. . . . Hydrochcerus Erx. . . . Centenes III. 



i-Dasypus L Hystrix L Erinaceus L. 



I do not attempt to dilate upon this very important subject, 

 because I have not yet bestowed upon it the attention which it 

 requires. The zoologist is left therefore to form his own con- 

 clusions, when he may have studied those very interesting pages 

 of Hermann t, in which this learned naturalist gives his reasons 

 at length (unfortunately too long to quote here) for the existence 

 of relations between Erinaceus and Hystrix, between Sorei' and 

 Mus, between So7'ex and Elephas, between Mygale and Castor, 

 Sorex and Talpa, and finally, between Spalax and Talpa. If 

 these relations be true in nature, they are all analogical and 

 expressed in the above table, except the relation between Sorex 

 and Talpa, which is one of affinity. 



In some such manner as this would it appear that Nature, 



* Echidna is, according to Cuvier, connected with Myrmecophaga by means of its 

 extensible tongue and habits. Myrmecophaga is connected with Dasypus, according 

 to the same authority, by means of the singular genus Orycleropus. 



t Tab. Aff. Anim. p. 78 et seq. ; p. 90 et seq. 



passing 



