of certain Birds of Cuba. 39 



rhynchus as approaching the quadruped Reptiles much more 

 than Birds. Thus, being arrived at an Oviparous animal (or at 

 least one that is close to the oviparous structure) and a Rep- 

 tile form, we detect a connection between the opposite points of 

 the circle of Vertebrata ; that is, between the Mammalia and 

 Reptilia, analogous to those relations we have already seen in 

 groups of lower rank existing between the Raptores and Rasores, 

 between the Fera and Glires. Aristotle and Ray had both some 

 vague idea of a relation between Viviparous and Oviparous qua- 

 drupeds. But Hermann, although the Ornithorhynchus was un- 

 known to him, has positively expressed it in the following words : 

 " Ab iis autem (i. e. k MyrmecophagcB et Dasypodis generibus) 

 transitus est ad Lacertas et Testudines, quarum illas squamis 

 suis Manes has scuto Dasypodes referunt." 



The following series, therefore, forms as it were a diameter of 

 the circle of Vertebrated Animals*, passing from the Mammalia 

 to the Reptilia. 



Primates ^ 



> Bradypodse — Dasypodae — Monotremes Cuv, — Reptilia. 

 Ungulata _) 



I am far, however, from wishing it to be supposed that I 

 think the Edentata do not all, or at least in some degree, enter 

 into the group of Ungulata. Although this order requires still 

 to be zmrought out, — until which be done, nothing can be con- 

 sidered as ascertained on the subject, — I see an evident analogy 

 between certain Edentata and the genus Hystrix, which for the 

 present I can only attribute either to their being in contiguous 

 orders, or to the circumstance of distinct relations of analogy 

 existing between the group of Dasypoda Gray, and of Talpidce 

 Gray, which last are certainly Carnivorous animals. To explain 

 what I mean by the last of these alternatives, I shall first cite 



* See diagram, Hora Ent. p. 318. 



the 



