132 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



HOOFED-MAMMALS (uNGULATA). CLASSIFICATION. 



The old-fasliioned classification of the hoofed animals with which the older reader is familiar is — 

 1. the Pachyderms, including Elephant, Rhinoceros, Tapir, IlijDpopotamus, Sow, &c. ; 2. the Soli- 

 DWNGULA, or Horses ; and 3. the Ruminants. Professor Owen, following the idea originally ex- 

 pressed by Cuvier, and confiimed by De Blainville, has in his new classification considerably 

 modified this arrangement. He has in it separated those which have an odd number of toes and' 

 nineteen dorso-lunibar vertebraa from those with an even number of toes and a greater nmnber 

 of dorso-lumbar vertebrae than nineteen. The latter he styles Artiodactyla, and the former 

 Perissodactyla, — equivalent to Cuvier's Paridigitata and Imparidigitata. 



As an artificial arrangement nothing could be better. It combines simplicity and clearness 

 to such a degree that any one who is sufiiciently advanced in arithmetic to be able to count two, 

 or to know odd from even, may range every species in the section allotted to it the moment he 

 sees its feet. 



The residt of the arrangement is to separate the aberrant forms of Pachyderms (the Hippopo- 

 tamus, Peccary, and Sow), from the typical (the Elephant, Tapir, Rhinoceros, and Horse), and 

 to unite them to the Ruminants through the Chevrotains and Camels. 



This seems in accordance with Nature, but when Professor Owen in subdividing the Artio- 

 dactyles commences with what he calls the Omnivora (the Swine and Hippopotamus), — a qualifi- 

 cation (omnivorous), by the way, quite inappropriate to the Hippopotamus, which is in no respect 

 omnivorous, but entirely vegetarian,— he separates by the intercalation of the Ruminants two 

 closely allied groups; his arrangement being thus. Hippopotamus, Riuninants, Horse, Rhinoceros, 

 Elephants, &c. The points of relationship which the Omnivora have to the Ruminants, however 

 important, are not more numerous nor important than those with the true Pachyderms ; and it 

 is with reluctance that I see the Hippopotamus, Peccary, and Sow, carried away to a distance 

 from the Rhinoceros and Tapir. I have considerable faith in outward appearance as a guide to 

 affinity. No doubt appearances are often deceptive ; but it is the exception when they are so, 

 not the rule. For once that they deceive, they hundreds of times tell the truth. * I cabnot 



* Sucli a superficial ad-captandum resemblance is a or sometimes become united into one, making the poor 



monstrosity which is not uncommon in Swine, and which beast a cyclops. Although a physiological monstrosity 



is very suggestive of affinity between the Proboscidean which, for aught that appears, might occur equally well in 



pachyderms and the Sow. In it the snout is separated the human foetus, or any other animal, it does not happen 



from the face, and grows out from the forehead immedi- to any that I know of but the Sow : and I have observed 



ately above the eyes, somewhat like an elephant's trunk, that such an illustration as this impresses the mind of 



It absorbs the skin between the eyes, which thus stand the non-scicutific observer with greater conviction of 



hideously goggling close to each other without sepai'ation, affinity than more legitimate physiological reasons. 



