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MAMMALIA. 
triturant, or with a flattened surface, as the Apes 
( Pithecoida) and the Bats ( Dermoptera): 
his second family includes the Unguiculate 
quadrupeds with acuminated, canine, or car- 
nivorous teeth, and is called Karcharodonta, 
or Gampsonucha; whilst the quadrupeds cor- 
responding with the Rodent order of modern 
naturalists are grouped together and indicated 
by a negative dental character, viz. the absence 
of canine teeth. 
With respect to the hoofed or Ungulate 
quadrupeds, Aristotle continues to employ the 
organs of progressive motion for the subordi- 
nate characters, and divides them into, 1st, 
Polyschide, or multungulates, as the Elephant, 
&e.; 2d, the Dischide, or bisulcates, including 
the Ruminants ( Merykozonta ), and the Hog- 
tribe; 3d, the Aschide, or solidungulate quad- 
rupeds, as the Horse and Ass. 
he Apodal Zootoka, which form the third 
of Aristotle’s more comprehensive groups, un- 
derwent no corresponding subdivision in his 
system. It embraces the modern Cetacea, 
under the name of Kefoda. Thus the natural 
class of animals, now universally recognized 
under the Linnean epithet Mammalia, although 
it comprehends creatures the most diverse in 
237, 
their forms and habits, some, e. g. skimming 
along the air with wings like birds, others ha- 
bitually dwelling on, the ocean disguised as 
fishes, was clearly appreciated and first indi- 
cated by Aristotle, who included thereip the Bat 
and theWhale,with the ordinary hairy dead ruped 
and the naked biped, according to principles 
acknowledged as consisting with the soundest 
philosophy by the best-informed physiological 
naturalists of the present day. 
During the two thousand years which have 
elapsed since Aristotle wrote and lectured on 
natural history, the ideas of learned men re- 
garding the nature and classification of Mam- 
mals received no improvement, and any 
change which they underwent was for the 
worse. Our great countryman Ray was the 
first to introduce any amelioration of Aristotle’s 
arrangement. ‘This arises chiefly from the 
tabular form in which he expressed his ideas, 
and in which the subordination of the charac- 
ters and groups is more definitely set forth 
than in the existing compendium of Aristotle’s 
History of Animals. Ray’s improvements of 
classification relate, however, only to the Te- 
trapodous Mammals. It is as follows: — 
“A Table of Viviparous Four-footed Animals, 
“ Viviparous hairy animals or quadrupeds are,— 
if Ungulate, and these either 
Bisulcaie, which are 
ae 
| Unguiculate, whose feet are either 
Bifid, as in the CaMEL, or 
} Multifid, which are 
{ Solidipedous, as the Horse, Ass, ZEBRA. 
Ruminants with horns, that are 
Persistent, as in the Ox, Sueep, Goat, 
or ; or . 
Deciduous, as in the Srac. 
Not Ruminants, as the Hoe. 
| Quadrisulcate, as the Rurnoceros, Hippopotamus. 
ment, so that the extremities alone are visible at the margin of the 
J With digits adhering together, and covered with a common integu- 
foot, and are covered with obtuse nails, as in the ELepwanr. 
With digits in some measure distinct and separable from each other, 
the nails being 
§ Depressed, as in APEs, 
or 
d Compressed, where the incisor teeth are 
( Many, in which group all the animals are carni- 
L 
©The anomalous species,” Ray afterwards 
observes, “‘ among the viviparous quadrupeds 
with a multifid foot are the Hedge-hog, the 
vorous and rapacious, or at least insectivorous, 
or subsist on insects with vegetable matter : 
{ The larger ones with the 
Muzzle short, and head rounded, 
; as the Feline tribe; or with the 
Muzzle long, as the Canine tribe ; 
The smaller ones with a long slender 
body, and short extremities, as the 
Weasel or Vermine* tribe ; 
or < 
Two very large, of which tribe all the species are 
phytivorous, as the Hare.” 
Armadillo, the Mole, the Shrew, the Taman- 
dua, the Bat, and the Sloth. The first five of 
these species agree with the canine and vermine 
* Genus Verminewm, from their worm-like form, 
