VI liNTRODUCTlOiN. 



the want of accurate information, &c.* Scarcely indeed, has 

 he had it in his power to quote a single American author, 

 who, inhabiting the same regions with the animals, which 

 are the objects of his research, would alone be capable of 

 obtaining precise information concerning them. We may- 

 further remark, that since the publication of Mr. Desma- 

 rest's work, many discoveries have been made, and much 

 valuable information has been collected in this department 

 of natural history, the high rank and importance of which, 

 beginning to be perceived by a liberal public, individuals, 

 who have hitherto confined their investigations more particu- 

 larly to other branches, have now turned their attention to 

 this. Urged by similar motives, our common guardians and 

 enlightened statesmen, have organized exploring expedi- 

 tions, which under the command of a most judicious offi- 

 cer, accompanied by men of science, have made such dis- 

 coveries in almost every department of natural history, as 

 confer an invaluable boon upon their country. The natu- 

 ralists who accompanied Major Long's expedition to the 

 Rocky Mountains, have described twelve new species of 

 quadrupeds, besides fixing the characters, and detailing the 

 habits of many others hitherto imperfectly known. 



To Mr. Sabine's appendix to Captain Parry's and Captain 

 Franklin's expeditions, we have been indebted for much 

 valuable information, as well as for the description of seve- 

 ral new species. 



* Mr. Desmarest, in his advertisement to the second part of his " Mam- 

 malogic," p. 7, limits the number of mammaha inhabiting' North America, 

 to fifty-four species : as this statement does not in any degree coiTespond 

 with his descriptions, we presume he has permitted a typographical er- 

 ror, of great importance, to escape his notice. We have enumerated from 

 his work one hundred species, as inhabiting North America; the descrip- 

 tions of about fiftj' of these having been found very accurate, ai'e accord- 

 ingly translated with very Uttle alteration. 



