THE OPPOSSUM. 155 



be of the same race ; the snout is doubtless more 

 pointed, and the tail grows to a greater length. 



To this number may be added the phalanger, which 

 resembles the two former in every thing but size, 

 which does not exceed that of a rat ; the thumb and 

 fore-finger are joined together, except close to the 

 very end. 



The last animal of this species "is called the tarsier, 

 and differs from the others in the extraordinary forma- 

 tion of its hinder legs, which are longer than the whole 

 body : the tail is entirely naked in the middle, though 

 the two extremities are covered with hair : the bones 

 of that part of the foot called the tarsus are of such 

 an extraordinary length, that from them the animal 

 has derived its name : the hair is extremely^soft and 

 woolly, and the colour of it is a deep ash. 



CHAP. XVII. 



ANIMALS OF A DISTINCT RACE, THE ELEPHANT, 

 THE RHINOCEROS, THE HIPOPOTAMUS, S,-c. 



THE ELEPHANT. 



HAVING gone through the description of those 

 quadrupeds, that, by resembling each other in some 

 striking particular, admit of being grouped together, 

 and considered under one point of view, we now come 

 to those insulated sorts that bear no similitude to the 

 rest, and that, to be perfectly understood, must be 

 separately described. Foremost of these is the ele- 

 phant, an animal which at first sight appears an enor- 

 mous mass of misshapen flesh, scarcely calculated to 

 perform the common functions of life ; yet, when we 



