645 



MAMMALOGY. 



MAMMALOGY. 



616 



About a year before the death of Linnaeus (1777) Erxleben pub- 

 lished his ' Systema Regni Animalis." It contained several new genera, 

 as for example Papio, Cercopithecus, Cebus, Callithrix (all at the expense 

 of the great Linnaean genus Simia), Lutra, Cavia, Gli, Spalax, Dipus, 

 Antilope, and Hydroch&rus, all of which are still retained; and indeed 

 his work, which should be in the hands of the student, seems to have 

 been intended aa a further development of the Linnaean system, and 

 of the principles contained therein. 



The excellencies of the work last-mentioned are strongly contrasted 

 with the edition of the ' Systema Naturae ' which Gmelin gave to the 

 world in 1788. It is not passing a severe judgment to characterise 

 it as a jumble of all that had been previously contributed to this 

 department of zoology, and a farrago of species heaped together, 

 without care, and in many instances without inquiry. The student 

 whose lot it may be to follow out the synonyms of the Mammalia 

 will perceive in what a labyrinth he gets involved as soon as he sets 

 to work upon the names and references which swell out the ' Systema 

 Naturae ' from the neat proportions which graced it when it left the 

 hand of Linnaeus, to the undigested and overladen mass which Gmelin 

 has made it. 



Previous to this publication, a work of a very different character 

 had made its appearance. In 1780 Professor Storr published his 

 ' Prodromus,' which gave a direction to those employed in classifying 

 the Mammalia still in a great measure followed. He divided the class 

 into three phalanxes : the first consisting of those Mammals which 

 have f'-et proper for walking ; the second, of those whose feet are fin- 

 Bhapeil, but with distinct toes ; and the third, of those which have 

 true fins without any apparent toes. These phalanxes are separated 

 into cohorts, orders, tribes, sections, and genera; and the system is 

 well worthy the deep attention of the reader. 



Boddaert (17t>5), in his ' Elenchus Animaliurn,' divided the Mam- 

 malia into two great groups, the Terrestrial and the Aquatic. In the 

 first (Terretlria) he placed I. The Unguiculated Mammals, divided 

 into two sections : . The Quadrumania ; 0. The Unguiculata, with 

 long claws (Sloth, Bats, Armadilloes, Pangolins,'and other Ant-Eaters). 

 II. The Carnivorous Mammals (Ferce). III. The Rodent Mammals 

 (Gliret). IV. The Ruminants. V. Ungulata not Ruminants (Hog, 

 Horse, Tapir, Rhinoceros, and Elephant). In the second group (Aqua- 

 tilia) were arranged the Hippopotamus, Beaver, Otter, Walrus, the 

 Seals and Dugongs, and the Manatee. 



Not to detain the reader with the anatomical system of M. Vicq.-d'Azyr, 

 which broke up the Mammalia into 15 classes and 38 genera, and is 

 seldom referred to, we proceed to notice the system of Blumenbach, 

 who separated the Mammalia into 9 orders. I. Bimana (Man). 

 II. Quadrumana (Apes, Monkeys, and Macaucos). III. Cheiroptera 

 (Bats). IV. Digitata, consisting of three sections, the Rodents (Gliret), 

 the Carnivorous (Feras), and the Edentata (Srula). V. Solidungula 

 (Horse, 4c.). VI. Bitcula (Ruminants). VII. Multungula (Hog, Tapir, 

 Elephant, Rhinoceros, &c.). VIII. Palmipeda, consisting of three 

 sections, namely, the Rodent Palmipedes (Gliret, Beavers), the Carni- 

 vorous Palmipedes (Seals, Otters), and the Edentate Palmipedes (Bruta, 

 Ornithorhynchui, Walruses, Dugongs). IX. The Cetacea (Whales). 



In 1798 Cuvier published his Elementary Table of Animals, which 

 was afterwards further developed in his 'Anatomie CompareV and 

 the ' Rcgne AnimaL' The method of thia great zoologists bears con- 

 siderable resemblance in some of its parts to the ' Prodromus ' of 

 Storr, as Cuvier himself remarks : it is so generally adopted that we 

 shall presently give it in detail. 



M. Desmarest (1804 ' Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle"), prin- 

 cipally taking Cuvier and Storr for his guides, divided the Mammalia 

 into three great sections. I. The Unguiculated Mammalia. II. The 

 Hoofed Mammalia (Mammiferes a Sabots). III. The Finned Mam- 

 malia (Mammiferes a Nageoires), containing the orders Amphibia, 

 Seals, Walruses, Dugongs, &c., and Cetacea (Whales). Our limits will 

 not permit us to enter at length into the classification of M. Desmarest, 

 which should however be carefully perused by the student. 



We now proceed to lay before the reader Cuvier's arrangement after 

 it had received the benefit of the joint labours of M. Oeoffroy and 

 himself, and as it finally left his hands in his last edition of the 

 ' Kegne Animal.' 



Class Mammiferes. 



Order I. Bimana. Man. 



Order II. Quadi-umana. Two families. 1. Apes and Monkeys 

 (Simia, Linn.). 2. Macaucos (Lemur, Linn.). 



Order III. Camassiers. Family 1. Cheiroptera (Bats). 2. Insectivora 

 (Hedgehogs. Tenrecs. Ta.pa.ia. Shrews. Myyale. ChnjsoMoris. Talpa. 

 Condylura. Scalops). 3. Carnivora. Tribe 1. Plantigrades. Bears 

 (Uru, Linn.). Raccoons (Procyon, Storr.). Panda (Ailurus,V. Cuv.). 

 Benturongs (Ictidet, Valenciennes). Coatis (Nasua, Storr.). Kinka- 

 jous or Pottos (?) (Cercolepta, Illiger). Badgers (Meles, Storr.). Glut- 

 tons (Oido, Storr). Ratela. Tribe 2. Digitigrades. Martins (Mustela, 

 I.inn.;. Skunks (Mephilii, Cuv.). Otters (Lulra, Storr). Dogs (Can'a, 

 Linn.). Civets ( Viverra). Genets (Gcnctta, Cuv.). Pa.radoxu.rut. 

 Ichneumons (fferpata, Illiger). Suricates (Rt/zcena, Illiger). Ci'ossar- 

 chia. Protelei. The last subdivision of the Digitigrades is composed 

 of the Hyenas (Hyaena, Storr), and the Cats (Fdu, Linn.), in which 



last the sanguinary development is at its height. Tribe 3. Amphibia. 

 The Seals (Phoca, Linn.). The Walruses (Ti-ichechus, Linn.). 



Order IV. Marsupialia. Subdivision 1. Opossums (Didelphis, 

 Linn., including Cheironectes, Illiger, and Thylacinus and Pliascogale, 

 Temminck). Dasyurus (Geoffroy). Perameles (Geoffrey). Subdivi- 

 sion 2, Pkalangista (Cuv.), including the true Phalangers (Balamtia, 

 Illiger) and the Flying Phalanger.s (Petaurus, Shaw ; Pkalangista, 

 Illiger). Subdivision 3, the Potoroos, or Kangaroo Rats (ffypsiprymnus, 

 Illiger). The Kangaroos (Macropus, Shaw ; Jlalmaturus, Illiger). The 

 Koalas (Lipurus, Goldfuss; Phascolarctos, Blainville). Pliascolomys 

 (Geoffroy). 



Order V. Rodenlia. The Squirrels (Sciurus, Linnaeus, including 

 Tamia ? Illiger ; Pteromys and Cheiromys, Cuvier). The Rats (Mm, 

 Linnaeus, including Arclomys, Gmelin; Spermophilus, F. Cuvier). The 

 Souslik (Cynomyi of Rafinesque) ; Myoxtw, Gmelin ; Echimys, Geoffroy 

 (Lonckeres, Illiger) ; Hydromys, Geoffroy ; Capromys, Desmarest. The 

 Rats, properly so called (3fus, Cuv.). The Jerbilles, Gerbillus, Des- 

 inarest; Meriones, Illiger; Meriones, F. Cuvier. The Hamsters, 

 Cricetus, Cuv., and Arvicola, Lace]pede. The Ondatras, Fisher, F. Cuv. 

 The Field Rats and Mice, Arvicola, Cuv., Hypudceus, Illiger. The 

 Lemmings, Georychus, Illiger; Otomys, F. Cuv. The Jerboas, Dipus, 

 Gmelin ; Helamys, F. Cuvi ; Pedetes, Illiger ; Spalax, Guldenstadt ; 

 Bathyergus, Illiger; Geomys, Rafinesque; Pseudostoma, Say; Axomys, 

 Lichtenstein ; Diplostoma, Rafinesque. The Beavers (Castor, Linn.), 

 Myopotamus, Commerson. The Porcupines (Hystrix, Linnaeus, includ- 

 ing the Ursons, Ere'tisons of F. Cuv., and the Coendous, Synetheres of 

 F. Cuv.). The Hares (Lepia, Linnaeus, including Lagomys Cuvier). 

 The Capybara, B ydrochcerus, Erxleben. The Guinea Pigs (Anosma, 

 F. Cuv. ; Cavia, Illiger, including Keradon, F. Cuv.). The Agoutis 

 (Chloromys, F. Cuv., Dasyprocta, Illiger). The Pacas (Codogenys, F. 

 Cuv.) ; and the Chinchillas. 



Order VI. Edentata. Tribe 1. Tardigrades. The Sloths * (Bradypus, 

 Linnaeus, including Adieus, F. Cuv.). Tribe 2. Ordinary Edentata. 

 The Armadilloes (Dasypus, Linnaeus), and the sub-genus Chlamyphorus, 

 Harlan. The Aard-Vark (Orycteropus, Geoffroy). The Ant-Eaters 

 (Myrmecophaga, Linnaeus). The Pangolins (Manis, Linnaeus). Tribe 3, 

 The Monotremes. The Echidna, Cuv. (Tachyglossus, Illiger), and the 

 Ornithorhynchus, Bluraen. (Platypus, Shaw). 



Order VII. Pachydermata, Family 1. Probroscidians. Elephants 

 (Elephas, Linnaeus) and Mastodons (Mastodon, Cuvier). Family 2, 

 Ordinary Pachydermata. Hippopotamus (Linn.). The Hogs (Sus, 

 Linnaeus, including Phascochaeres, F. Cuvier, and Dicotyles, Cuv.). 

 Anoplotherium (Cuv., extinct). The Rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros, Linnaeus). 

 The Damans (ffyra.a, Hermann). Palceotherium (Cuv., extinct). 

 Lophiodon (Cuv., extinct). The Tapirs (Tapir, Linnaeus). Family 3. 

 Solipeda. The Horses, &c. (Equus, Linn.). 



Order VIII. Ruminantia. (Pecora, Linnaeus), a. No Horns. The 

 Camels (Camelut, Linnaeus, including the Llamas, Auchenia, Illiger). 

 The Musks (Moachus, Linnaeus), b. True Horus shed periodically. 

 The Stags or Deer (Cervus, Lnnaeus). c. Persistent Horns. The 

 Giraffe (CamdopardaUs, Linnaeus), d. Hollow Horns. The Antelopes 

 (Ait'itope). The Goats (Capra, Linnaeus). The Sheep (Ovis, Linnaeus). 

 The Oxen (Box, Linnaeus). 



Order IX. Cetacea. Family 1. Herbivorous Cetacea. The Manatees 

 (Manatus, Cuvier). The Dugongs (Halicore, Illiger). R>jtina (Illiger). 

 Family 2. Ordinary Cetacea. The Dolphins (DelpMnus, Linn., 

 including Delphinus, Cuvier, Delphinorhynchus, De Blainv.). The Por- 

 poises (Pkoccena, Cuv.). Delphinapterus, Lacdpede ; Hyperoodon, Lace- 

 pede. The Narwhals (Monodon, Linnaeus). The Cachalots (Physeter, 

 Linnaeus). The Whalebone Whales (Balcena, Linnaeus, including 

 Balanoptera, Lac^pede). 



Illiger (1811), iu his ' Prodromus Systematis Mammalium et Avium," 

 divided the Mammalia into 14 orders, 39 families, and 125 genera, 

 most of which last are characterised with great neatness. We have only 

 room for a mere sketch of this system, which has considerable merit : 



Order I. Erecta (Man). 



Order II. Pollicata. Family 2. Quadrumana (Apes and Monkeys). 

 Family 3. Prosimia (the Lemurs, &c.). Family 4. Macrotarsi (Tarsiers. 

 Galago, &c.). Family 5. Leptodactyle (Cheiromys). Family 6. Marsu- 

 pialia (except the Potoroos and Kangaroos). 



Order III. Salientia. Family 7. Salientia (Uyysiprymnua and 

 Halmaturus, Potoroos and Kangaroos.) 



Order IV. Prcnsiculantia. Family 8. Macropoda (Jerboas, &c.). 

 Family 9. Agilia (Myoxus, the Squirrels, and Pteromys). Family 10* 

 Murina (Marmots, Hamsters, Rats, &c.). Family 11. Ctmicularia 

 (Lemmings, Hypndams, &c.). Family 12. Palmipeda (Hydromys and 

 Beavers). Family 13. Aculeatea (Porcupines and Loncheres, or 

 Echimys). Family 14. Duplicidentata (Hares, &c.). Family 15. Suban- 

 gulata (Paca, Agoutis, Guinea-Pigs, Capybara). 



Order V. Multimgulata. Family 16. Lamnunr/uia (Ifyrax, &e.); 

 Family 17. Proboscidea (Elephauts). Family 18. Nasicornia (Rhino- 

 ceroses). Family 19. Obesa (Hippopotamus). Family 20. Nasuta 

 (Tapirs). Family 21. Setigera (Hogs). 



* It is here that Cuvier mentions the extinct genera Megatherium and 

 Meyahnyx, noticing however the differences, and observing that the former, 

 though it has a skull very like the sloths, wants the canine*, and inclines, as to 

 the rest of the skeleton, partly to the sloths, and partly to the ant-eaters* 



