AMERICA. 



AMKIIICA. 



300 



of Sooth America, and likewise in the high plains of the Arkansas in 

 North America. A nominal property in these wild herds is generally 

 by particular individuals, and they are assembled also at 

 ir periods to be marked and counted; but, in all other 

 they are left to the unrestrained exercise of their natural 



The horned Battle are principally valuable for their hides 



aad tallow, which are for the most part shipped to European ports, 

 and constitute two of the staple commodities of South American 



In th immense pampas of South America, there are numerous troops 

 of wild bones, which, though of less importance than the horned 

 cattle, are not without their uses to the inhabitants; in fact, they 

 furnish the only mean* of crossing these extensive plains, and con- 

 sequently of communicating with the neighbouring countries. The 

 traveller and his guide set off on horseback, driving a wild troop of 

 these animals at full gallop before them ; when one beast U exhausted, 

 another is secured by means of the huso, the saddle is changed, the 

 rider mounts and continues his journey, repeating the same operation 

 as often as requisite till he arrives at his station for the night ; here he 

 obtains a fresh troop, and in this manner will travel for many days ia 

 imiKEsiim. at the rate of 100 or 120 miles a day. Much curious 

 Information concerning this mode of travelling, as well as on other 

 subjects connected with South America, may be found in Sir Francis 

 Head's 'Rough Notes of a Journey across the Pampas,' also in 

 Temple's 'Peru,' and in Axara's great work on 'The Natural 

 History of the Quadrupeds of Paraguay and the River La Plata.' 



The ass, the sheep, the goat, and the hog, were likewise introduced 

 into America, both North and South, by the early European colonist*. 

 With the exception of the hog in the United States, they have not 

 increased in the same proportion as the horse and the ox. The ass is 

 principally employed in the old Spanish and Portuguese settlements 

 for the purpose of breeding mules, which possess all the wonderful 

 sagacity in discovering and avoiding danger, and all the security of 

 foot, which have in every age of the world rendered this animal BO 

 valuable in mountainous countries. 



Of wild indigenous animals, America contains a prodigious variety, 

 ms..y of which are altogether peculiar, and others present types of 

 organic structure to which we find no analogous forms in any other 

 quarter of the world. Among these the Quadmmana, or American 

 Monkeys, are not the least singular. They are called monkt 

 true, because the original discoverers of the country were ignorant of 

 a more appropriate term by which to designate them, and because they 

 bear a greater resemblance to the animals of the Old World, properly BO 

 denominated, than to any other beings ; but so entirely distinct are they 

 from these animals in their zoological characters and functions, that 

 they not only belong to different species, but even to different natural 

 genera. Those of Africa and Asia have completely opposeable thumbs 

 on the fore feet, as well as on the hind ; they have uniformly ten 

 molar teeth in each jaw, as in man, and are generally provided with 

 cheek-pouches and naked callosities: the American Simia, on the 

 contrary, are always destitute of the two latter characteristics ; they hove 

 uniformly twelve molar teeth in each jaw, and the thumbs of their 

 fore-hands are, more properly speaking, versatile, or capable of occa- 

 sional opposition, than habitually opposed to the other fingers. One 

 extensive genus (Atria) is absolutely destitute of thumb altogether, 

 and the great majority of the species are provided with a prehensile 

 power in the. tail, which converts this organ into an actual fifth limb, 

 and snsblss the animals to rest suspended from the branches, or swing 

 from tree to tree with an ease and velocity which are truly surpri*ing. 

 Other species are destitute of this prehensile power in the tail, but 

 exhibit all the other characters of the American Quadruauuta in 

 gMHM. 



Compared with the apes and monkeys of the Old World, the 

 spajous and sakis of America are certainly an inferior race of 

 beingm. In no instance do they exhibit the close proximity to man, 

 which w* observe in the orsng-outan and chimpanzee; and their 

 inferior links acquire the lengthened muzzle and slanting incisors, 

 which approximate them to the lemurs and other inferior animal*. 

 All are remarkable for the gentleness of their disposition and the 

 docility of their character, equally opposed to the ferocious nature 

 of the baboons, and the restless petulance and ceaseless curiosity of 

 the monkeys, properly so called. Their habitat is entirely confined 

 to the tropical forests of South America, which resound at the rising 

 and setting of th sun to the loud drum-like voice of the Alwates, or 

 Prsaohini Monkey (Jfyesfas). the hoarse cry of the AttUt, and th 

 Piping voice of the Sapajous (Ccfriu). All these genera are remarkable 

 for the prehensile power of their tails. Of those which are destitute 

 of this faculty, the Saimiris (CaUilkni) are distinguished by the small- 

 their siss, the elegance of their forms, the gracefulness and 



dttV .if th_; sva^avl.. u I il_ _ !... 



, , 



their motions, and their gentle and playful disp. 

 The 8atb <<*!) again join the genekl organisation of theVodru- 



!T f5te^?v'? out M>d *""*' t *& ot *> fox - whiu the 



uli (AWfVwr.) has the nocturnal manners and tardy pace 

 fe-U-urMA'^W of A*,, and appears to be the only 

 he western hemisphere. All these 

 with itr^he free Indians; 

 SIT 00 ?* ** Prejudices so far as to 



Of the Cheiroptera, winged mammals, or bats, peculiar to America, 

 the most remarkable are the Vampires (Phyllottoma), which ore of a 

 large sue, and live upon blood, which they suck from men and animals 

 while asleep, by the assistance of their long projectile tongues and lipn, 

 urninhed at the point and on the edges with a number of papilla? 

 disposed for that purpose. As their bite is usually in the foot, and 

 never creates pain sufficiently sharp to awaken the person attacked, 

 it not (infrequently proves fatal from excessive hemorrhage; the 

 vampires are consequently much dreaded by the inhabitants, and 

 every precaution is used to guard against their attacks. Happily, 

 they are by no means numerous, and are confined to the most tropical 

 climifrf of Guyana, Venezuela, and Brazil No species of the Roassettes 

 (Ptcrop**), or frugivorous bats, exist in America : in other respects the 

 Cheiroptera of this hemisphere differ in no essential characters from 

 than of the Old World. 



America is extremely rich in the variety of its Carnirora, and 

 of these the great majority, as has been already observed, are 

 altogether peculiar to this continent. Those which are common to 

 the northern latitudes of America, and the corresponding ports 

 of Asia and Europe, have been already noticed. Of the others, 

 the most remarkable are the Grizzly Bear of the Rocky Mountains 

 (Urn* feroz), the largest and most ferocious species of this genus. 

 The Spectacled Bear (U. ornattu) inhabits the chain of the Andes, 

 and is of a smaller size, and less carnivorous propensity. The 

 Common Bear (U. arelot), the Block Bear (U. American**), with its 

 the Cinnamon Bear of Hudson's Bay, and the White or Polar 

 Bear (U. maritimus), inhabit the northern parts of the continent, and 

 are hunted by the fur-traders for the sake of their skins. The Racoons 

 (Procym), the Coatimondis (ffattut), and the Kinkajou (Cercolepta), 

 are three small genera of carnivorous mammals peculiar to the southern 

 states of the North American Union, and to the continent of South 

 America ; the latter is remarkable as being the only genus of Carnivora 

 provided with a prehensile tail ; it is also found in Jamaica, and other 

 West Indian islands. The Mouffettes (Alepliitu) are likewise a genus 

 peculiar to the New World. Of the genus Cant*, or Dog kind, 

 America possesses 18 or 20 different species, of which 12 or H are 

 peculiar. Besides the Prairie Wolf (C. latrant), the Mexican Wolf 

 (C. Maicanut), and the Maned Wolf (C. jubaiiu), these comprise 

 many beautiful species and varieties of foxes, of which the fur is of 

 great value in a commercial point of view. The species most valued 

 on this account ore the Arctic Fox (C. /<i/;"'A with it* blue variety 

 'lintunu), the Common American Fox (C.fulrwi), the Cross Fox 

 (C. dcciutattu), the Silver Fox (C. argentattw), and the Kit Fox (C. 

 cintreo-argentattu), the smallest American species of thin genus. The 

 civets, poradoxures, ichneumons, suricats, and hytcnas of the Old 

 World hove no representatives in America. Of the Cat kind (Petit) 

 however tin* continent contains numerous species, all equally remark- 

 able, like their congeners of the I'M World, fur tlte beauty and 

 diversity of their colours, and the treachery of their disposition. The 

 Jaguar (P. unfa), nearly equals the Asiatic tiger in size and ferocity ; 

 it is confined to South America. The Couguor, or Puma (/'. diicolor), 

 on the contrary, is occasionally met with in the southern states of the 

 Union, and has even been known to stray as far north as Canada. 

 This animal is often, though very improperly, called the American 

 Lion. The Ocelot (P. pardalit), the Morgoy (P. liyrlna), and 

 numerous other smaller species, are chiefly distinguiiihed by the 

 beauty and variety of their colours. The Lynxes, distinguished from 

 the other cats by their shorter tails and pencilled ears, ore the only 

 species of the whole genus which are valuable in a commercial point 

 of view ; and of these, the northern and western parts of America 

 contain three or four distinct species, all of which furnish a long, 

 thick, and valuable fur. 



Though Australia appears to be the head-quarters of the mnrsupi .1 

 mammals, one extensive genus (Diddphys), and a smaller one ( / 

 ntctci), containing at present but a single species, ore nevertheless 

 peculiar to South America; and this coincidence in the zoology of two 

 such distant continents, of which the productions of one, in particular, 

 are at once so limited and so peculiar, is perhaps one of the most 

 extraordinary circumstances in the whole geographical distribution of 

 mammals. The distinguishing character of the ruamupialfi, as such, 

 consists in the abdominal pouch with which the females are provided, 

 and in which the young are deposited at a period long prior to their 

 complete development The Opossums (IHdtlphyt) and Yapachs 

 (Uhrirunrrtn), are further remarkable for their prehensile tails and 

 opposeable hind-thumb*. The first of these genera contains a great 

 variety of species, which offer nothing remarkable ; with the exception 

 of the Virginian Opossum </'. I', ', ;>ini<ina), they are all confined to 

 America : the second genus, on the contrary, contains but a 

 single species, the Yapach (C. palmata), one of the most singular and 

 anomalous animals in existence : this little animal inhabits the river* 

 of Brazil and Guyana. 



UK the Rudmlia, the continent of America is particularly rich 

 in those tribes which have been found serviceable in the eoonoiin of 

 human life. The Beaver (CVu'or) is now almost exclusively confined 

 to Canada and the north-west districts of America. Even here however 

 their numbers are doily diminishing. The Musquash, Ondatra (Arri- 

 cola abdkiciu), or musk beaver, as it is sometimes called, is a little 

 animal resembling the beaver in iU social habits, as well as in the 



