148 HISTORY OF 



The animals which seem to approach no other 

 kind, either in nature or in form, but to make 

 each a distinct species in itself, are the follow- 

 ing: the Elephant, the Rhinoceros, the Hippo- 

 potamus, the Camelopard, the Camel, the Bear, 

 the Badger, the Tapir, the Cabiai, the Coati, the 

 Ant-bear, the Tatau, and lastly the Sloth. 



All other quadrupeds whose names are not set 

 down, will be found among some of the above- 

 mentioned classes, and referred to that which they 

 most resemble. When therefore we are at a loss 

 to know the name of any particular animal, by 

 examining which of the known kinds it most re- 

 sembles, either in shape, or in hoofs, or claws, 

 and then examining the particular description, we 

 shall be able to discover, not only its name, but 

 its history. I have already said that all methods 

 of this kind are merely arbitrary, and that nature 

 makes no exact distinction between her produc- 

 tions. It is hard, for instance, to tell whether 

 we ought to refer the civet to the dog or the cat 

 kind ; but, if we know the exact history of the 

 civet, it is no great matter to which kind we shall 

 judge it to bear the greatest resemblance. It is 

 enough that a distribution of this kind excites in 

 us some rude outlines of the make, or some mark- 

 ed similitudes in the nature of these animals ; but 

 to know them with any precision, no system, or 

 even description will serve, since the animal it- 

 self, or a good print of it, must be seen, and its 

 history be read at length, before it can be said to 

 be known. To pretend to say that we have an 

 idea of a quadruped, because we can tell the 



