MAMMALIA. 2a 



have their feet divided into more than two parts, as the ele- 

 phant. 



The mammiferae with cloven feet are subdivided into two sec- 

 tions, those which do not ruminate, as the hog, and those which 

 ruminate : these last form four genera, the sheep, the goat, 

 the stag, and ox. 



Among the Mammalia armed with nails, Ray distinguishes 

 those with broad nails, resembling those of man, such as the 

 apes, and those which have narrow and pointed nails. Among 

 these last he separates those which have the toes divided, which 

 he names fissipedes. 



These fissipedes he divides further into, 1 . those which have 

 more than two incisors in each jaw, as the lion, the dog, &c. ; 

 or which have only two incisors, as the beaver, squirrel, rat, 8cc. 

 2. those which have no teeth at all, as the tamandua, or which 

 have teeth different in number, form, and position, from those of 

 the other Mammalia, such as the hedgehog, the mole, the sloth, 

 &c. 



To Ray succeeded other writers who endeavoured to improve 

 the study of Natural History by a proper arrangement of its ob- 

 jects. Among these was Seba, whose figures make his work still 

 a desirable addition to the library of the naturalist. But all 

 these were forgotten in the attention which was attracted by the 

 publication of the system of the celebrated Linnaeus, whose writ- 

 ings were destined to form an era in the science of Nature. His 

 sagacity enabled him to fix the basis of the classification of its 

 objects upon a proper basis, his genius freed the study of its 

 chief difficulties, and he created a language appropriated to all 

 its wants'. The first edition of the Systema Naturce was pub- 

 lished in 1735, the second in 1737; and its author lived to see 

 it undergo a twelfth impression, and unite the suffrages of Eu- 

 rope in its favour. As the arrangement of the Mammalia by 

 Linnaeus forms the basis of most of the modern systems, it 

 may be proper to give an outline of it in this place. 



The Mammalia, which constitute his first class, is divided 

 into seven Orders, the characters of which are derived from the 

 number, situation, and form of the teeth. These teeth in the 

 Mammalia are of three kinds, viz. the incisores or cutting teeth 

 the canini or dog-teeth and the molares or grinders. 



