244 
“The analogy of the Rasores to the Rumi- 
nating Animals was first, I believe, mentioned 
by Linneus in the ‘ Systema Nature.’ It has 
since his days been copied and copied, until 
now it almost becomes a sort of heresy to in- 
quire into its accuracy. I am not, however, 
aware that any reason for this analogy has ever 
been assigned, beyond the fact,—that one order 
affords the principal part of those birds which 
are domesticated by man for purposes of food ; 
and the other, the principal part of sbseag sain 
which are destined to the same purpose. Now, 
granting even this domestication not to be the 
work of art, but to be an analogy really existing 
in nature, | would observe,—setting the whole 
family of Anatide aside,—that the Glires 
afford us many eatable or domesticated animals, 
suchasthe Capromys and Rabbit ; and the Gral- 
latores afford us similar instances in the igor a 
and Psophia. If some Rasores be said, like 
the Pecora, to have ornamental appendages to 
the head, so it must be remembered has the 
Crowned Crane; whereas no rasorial bird is 
truly horned, like the Palamedea. But it may 
be worth while to take into consideration suc- 
cessively the grand characteristics of the Ra- 
sores, as given by ornithologists to distinguish 
them from all other birds. 
“The Rasores are, properly speaking, frugi- 
vorous birds; by which I do not mean eating 
fruits only, but all manner of seeds or grain. 
Now this character of being frugivorous applies 
much more to the Glires than the Ungulata, 
which are truly herbivorous, and only feed on 
grain in an artificial or domesticated state. To 
begin, then, with the rasorial or scratching 
powers of gallinaceous fowls; these are cer- 
tainly the most burrowing of frugivorous birds: 
now the most burrowing of frugivorous quad- 
rupeds are certainly not the Ungulata, but the 
Glires. These birds are characterised by the 
shortness of their wings and the weakness of 
their pectoral muscles. Now if we inquire 
whether it is among the Glires or Ungulata 
that we find the corresponding fae of 
the vertebral axis,—that is, the fore-feet most 
shortened,—the answer will be, certainly not 
among the Ungulata; where, on the contrary, 
Animals typically. 
2. VERB Sics cecovses Carnivorous .........06- cece eet RAPTORES 
2. PRiMATES’.......-Ommivorous ........0.5..+++00+-2+ [NSESSORES. 
3) GLIRES! ov0056 55's Frugivorous .......... Sinla V6 nls Wit 3. Rasores. = 
4. UNGuLATA........ Frequenting the vicinity of water ....4. GRALLATORES. — 
5S. CRracka. 2... sds IRIE SAGO ss ba 0:0 Sak ees ea 5. NaTaToREs.” 
The additional knowledge of the organization 
of the Mammalia, and especially of the Mar- 
supialia, which has been acquired since the 
time of Cuvier, has led to corresponding im- 
rovements in their classification. A primary 
inary division of the class based on modifica- 
tions of the generative function has been esta- 
blished chiefly by the proofs that have been 
adduced of their co-existence with characteristic 
conditions of the nervous and vascular systems, 
as well as of the generative organs themselves. 
These primary groups or sub-classes I have 
named Pracentatia and ImpLacentatia, 
MAMMALIA. 
the Giraffe has them extraordinarily lengthened : 
but among the Glires we have the Jechaal f 
this respect almost a bird. In more= 
over, this latter order is distinguished, like the 
Rasores, by the strength of those muscles of 
the two posterior appendages of the ral 
axis or hind-feet, that contribute to locomotion 
Gregarious habits distinguish the most of 
Rasores ; so they do ina still more extraordi. 
nary manner the Glires. Many are insec 
vorous in both orders, and some are omni 
rous. The muzzle or facies of Glires is 
and round, very like that of Fere, there b 
a direct relation between the two orders. Th 
facies of Rasores is also short and round, ver 
like that of Raptores (the order analogous t 
that of Fere ); and there is also a direct rela. 
tion between these two orders. Many Ras 
perch and nestle on trees; so do many of th 
Glires. The Rasores generally feed on han 
grain, which they pick up with their hook 
beak, and masticate in a triturating giz: 
the Glires feed also on hard substances, 
they gnaw with their strong hooked incisor 
and masticate with their grinders. In bot 
orders the thumb is very often rudimer 
In both orders the tail varies from an extraor 
nary length, as in the Squirrel and Pheasant 
to being very short, as in the Hare and Par 
tridge,.......No orders in their respective 
classes present the tail so spread out am 
flattened as the Glires and Rasores,—witne: 
the Beaver and Peacock. In both orders t 
sense of hearing is much developed. In be 
orders we find animals, such as Squirrels at 
Pigeons, with their toes perfectly free; a 
others, as Hydromys and Phasianus, w 
have them united at the base by a membran 
Castor is an aquatic animal, having some 
tion to Cetacea ; Struthio is a terrestrial anim 
approaching to the Natatores. And so on reli 
tion comes so fast upon relation, that I know not 
how we can for a moment hesitate to place 
Glires opposite to the Rasores. 
“ 1 conceive it now to be demonstrated, - 
so far as relates to the analogies existin 
nature between the orders of Mammalia 
Aves, we ought to place them thus :— 
re 
ro 
indicative of the adherence of the ovum 
uterus in the one, and its non-adhe , a 
the ovo-viviparous reptiles, in the other gro 
Taking the orders as they are defined 
characterised by Cuvier, the progression 
their affinities, so far as they can be gi 
linear series, seems to be as follows :* ; 
Class —-MAM MALIA. “ 
Sub-Class—PLACENTALIA, 
Orders. — I. Bimana. II. Quadruman 
* See the excellent Catalogue of the 
in the Museum of the Zoological S 
George Waterhouse, Esq. Curator. 
PLC 
be 
