367 



tained of its having belonged to an animal of the genus Mastodon, I think 

 that no opinion could be formed respecting its species; but on this point 

 I speak with hesitation, since, at the time I saw it, I was unacquainted 

 with the existence of more than one species of this fossil 



LETTER XXVII. 



FOSSIL REMAINS OF THE RHINOCEROS ........... FOSSIL ANIMAL DIF- 



FERENT FROM THE RECENT SPECIES ...... HIPPOPOTAMUS ...... FOSSIL 



REMAINS ........ SMALL FOSSIL HIPPOPOTAMUS, AN UNKNOWN SPE- 



CIES.. ..FOSSIL ANIMALS APPROACHING TO THE TAPIR. 



N accurate knowledge of the anatomy and of the number of species 

 of the rhinoceros has been but lately obtained, and that through the 

 assiduous inquiries of Cuvier. Thus the celebrated Camper, unacquainted 

 with the characteristic differences of the teeth of the unicorn and bicorn 

 rhinoceros, and not finding incisive teeth in the two-horned species, he 

 charged Parsons, Linnaeus, and BufFon, with error, in supposing them to 

 exist in the one-horned species. But, on examining the living animal 

 of the latter species at Paris, and seeing its incisive teeth, he imme- 

 diately acknowledged the error into which he had fallen. M. Faujas 

 also, for want of correct notions respecting the teeth of this animal, 

 formed erroneous conclusions as to the number of species. 



In every adult rhinoceros there are twenty-eight grinders, seven on 

 each side, at the top and bottom. It must be however remembered 

 that, as the teeth of the rhinoceros, like those of other herbivorous ani- 



