* 



Vlll INTRODUCTION. 



several are entirely new, and not before described : eleven 

 species are fossil, and no longer exist in a living state, in 

 this, or any other country ; many were imperfectly no- 

 ticed, or erroneously described ; others merely indicated. 

 In several instances species, and in three or four cases, ge- 

 nera, have been confounded. 



With regard to the distribution of the North American 

 mammalia, they are thus divided — 119 are Quadrupeds, 28 

 Cetacea. 



To the order Primates belong, - - 1 species. 



Carnivora, - - - 60 



Glires, - - - - ^ 37 



Edentata, . - - 6 



Pachydermata, - - 2 



Ruminantia, - - 13 



Cetacea, - - - - 28 



147 



Twenty-five species are common to both Continents, 

 without including the cetaceous animals, viz : — 



Of the Mole, ----- i species 



Shrew, ----- 2 



Bear, - - - - - 1 



others to Mexico and the United States, a few species only being pecii- 

 liai' to Mexico, viz: — Cebus apella; phyllostoma spectrum; potos caudi- 

 volvula; canis mcxicanus; fehs mitis; felis mexicanus; didelphis cancri- 

 vora; didelphis cayopollin. (Hernand.) If we add these to the number 

 described in the following pages, it will afford a sum total of 155 species 

 as inhabiting North America, a computation which no doubt falls fai- 

 short of the actual number. 



