DISTRIBUTION- OP OPHIDIANS. 239 



deep forests, and of immense extent, as Brazil, tliere should 

 exist only a single species of Squirrel, the Sciurus aestuans : 

 this fact is the more remarkable, because we observe a 

 great number of reptiles that constantly live on trees, as 

 the Tree Frogs, the Leguans, the Anolius, &c. ; and be- 

 cause there exist several species of squirrel in North Ame- 

 rica.* South America produces a very considerable 

 number of aquatic animals, especially in the class of 

 reptiles ; but it is a very -remarkable fact, that among the 

 great number of fresh-water Tortoises, tliere is but one 

 species of Trionyx, which is called by way of eminence 

 the Water Tortoise, and of Avhich one species is found in 

 North America. As regards the large mammifera, those 

 of North America are almost all different from those of 

 the southern peninsula of the New World, and often have 

 a great affinity to those of Europe, belonging ordinarily 

 to the same genera. We find there, for example, two 

 species of Bos ; one, the Bison, appears very near the 

 Ursus or European Bison ; Elks and Reindeer are also 

 found there, different, as it seems, from those of Europe ; 

 the Wolves, Canis nubilus and C. latrans, probably 

 only form local varieties of those of Europe : the North 

 American Beaver, on the other hand, has specific differ- 

 ences from ours ; of the three Bears inhabiting America, 

 two, Ursus ferox, and U. Americanus, are peculiar to 

 that peninsula ; the third is the same as the European 

 species. We there find a great number of the family of 

 Spermophili, some of which are very like the species of 

 Europe and Asia. The Marmottes, the common Fox, the 

 comm: n Lynx, and the Glutton of North America, do not 

 differ from those of Europe ; but the Badger of Labrador 

 is very different from ours. The Scalops and the Condy- 

 lurus there represent our Moles and Musk Rats. The lofty 

 mountains stretching along the western coasts of North 



* One species of that country, the Sciurus Capistratus or S. Caro- 

 linensis is very remarkable for the numerous varieties which it forms : 

 they are white, black, grey, brown, in short, of all colours. The species 

 appears to inhabit even Mexico : compare them with Sciurus hypo- 

 xanthos of LichtExYSTein. 



