44 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



[Lesson VI. 



P. Yes, it forms an important part in 

 classification. 



65. T. How is the perfection estimated ? 

 P, By the power of prehension or 



grasping possessed by the animal. 



66. T. Then all the Mammalia have 

 not the power of grasping. 



P. Certainly not, the lower we descend 

 the more it is wanting. 



67. T.lf this be correct, we ought to 

 divide the class Mammalia into two parts. 

 How should we do this ? 



P. Into animals having claws Un- 

 guicitlated; and animals with hoofs Un- 

 gulattd. 



68. T. Give me an example of each. 

 P. The orang-outang is a very good 



Fig. O.f 



example of the former, and the ox or deer 

 of the latter division. 



69. T. How can you determine the 

 habits of an animal by examining its teeth ? 



P. Uecause they vary in structure and 

 arrangement, according to the food of the 

 animal ; and therefore the character of the 

 teeth and extremities generally guides natu- 

 ralists in determining the habits of animals. 



70. T. Does not the food exert its in- 

 fluence on other parts of the body ? that is 

 to say, can the naturalist ascertain the 

 habits of animals by other parts of the 

 body? 



P. Yes ; the organs of the senses and 

 digestion exhibit its habits in common with 

 the teeth and extremities. 



71. T. Can you distinguish an herbi- 

 vorous animal by its teeth ! 



P. Yes ; they have flat-crowned grind- 

 ing teeth, with irregular ridges on their 

 j surface, for triturating their food. 



72. T. How can you distinguish, by 

 means of its teeth, an animal that eat? 

 various kinds of food .' 



P. The tops of the ww/ar teeth orgrinders 

 ! are raised into flattened masses, like the 

 end of a pestle, and are intended for bruis- 

 ing and crushing, as in man. 



73. T. How are carnivorous animals 

 distinguished by their teeth ? 



P. By the size of their cmiine teeth, 

 which are very large, to enable them to 

 seize firmly upon their prey. 



[The pupil should give ex;tni|.les of the varioui 

 teeth, Mu-h as those ot" (he lion, hoar, monkey, 

 sheep, horse, &c. ; and state the numuer, and 

 Classes of each.] 



GENERAL QUESTIONS ON LESSON V. 



1. Why does Cuvier consider Mammalia 

 should be placed first among the vertebrate 

 animals I 



2. Can you learn anything of the habits 

 of an animal by examining its extremities 

 or teeth ? 



3. How can the knowledge of the form 

 of the extremities of animals inform us of 

 their habits ? 



4. \\ hat other reasons have we for clas- 

 sifying certain animals together ? 



5. Have all mammalia the power of 

 grasping ? 



6. Describe the difference between un- 

 guiculated and ungulated animals. 



7. Describe the diilen nee in the struc- 

 ture of the teeth of herbivorous and car- 



I nivorous animals. 



LESSON VI. 



WE have seen that naturalists are guided by certain peculiarities in their classification 

 of the Mammalia, and indeed of all objects of Natural Uistory. Our purpose is not *o 

 enter into the peculiarities of the various orders of each class, but rather to show the 



Fig. 5. Hand of Orang-outang. 



t Fig. 6. Foot of Orang-outang. 



