152 Natural History. [Chap. Ill, 



-^vhether this animal were a species of elephant or 

 not ', and both the affirmative and negative sides 

 of the question were confidently maintained by 

 eminent zoologists. It is probable the dispute 

 is now near being terminated, as, in the estima- 

 tion of good judges, proof little short of demon- 

 strative has appeared, confirming the opinion of 

 those who assign this far-famed animal to the ge^ 

 nus elephas^. 



Soon after the first publications of Linnaeus, 

 Qrnithologi/, or the history of the second class in 

 liis system, received considerable improvements 

 from Edwards |, an English naturalist, who, though 

 not remarkably distinguished as a systematic wri- 

 |;er, became eminent and useful by the accuracy of 

 )iis descriptions, and the excellence of his draw- 

 ings. To his labours succeeded those of Mr. Frisch, 

 a German, whose work is perhaps the most philo- 

 sophical and interesting that was ever published 

 on the subject. After him came the celebrated 

 Latham, of Dartford, the author of a work on or- 

 nithology, which is probably the n^pst extensive 



* In the year 1801, Mr. C. W. Peale, of Philadelphia, proprie- 

 tor of the Museum in that city, and who has been for a number of 

 years distinguished by his taste for inquiries in natural history, 

 succeeded in obtaining two complete skeletons of the mammoth, 

 dug out of marlc-pits, in the state of New-York. From an in- 

 spection of these skeletons it appears that they are the remains 

 of elephants, ditiering but little, if any more, from either of the 

 two species now known, than these latter- do from each other. 

 Mr. Peale is certainly entitled to the thanks of every lover of na- 

 tural history for his zcal and exertions in this researcli. 



t Gcoi-ge Edwards was born in the year 1(394, and died in 

 J 77^. His Natural Ilntory of Birds is in / vols. 4to. 



