94 THEORY OF THE EARTH. 



and even triple references, are more frequent 

 among ancient writers, because most of their works 

 which have come down to us were mere compila- 

 tions ; because even Aristotle himself has often 

 mixed borrowed facts with those which had come 

 under his own observation; and because the habit of 

 critically investigating the authorities of previous 

 writers, was as little known among ancient natu- 

 ralists as among their historians. 



From all these reasonings and digressions, it may 

 be fairly concluded, that the large animals of the 

 ancient continent with which we are now acquaint- 

 ed, were known to the ancients ; and that all the 

 animals of which the ancients have left descrip- 

 tions, and which are now unknown, were merely 

 fabulous. It also follows, that the large animals of 

 the three anciently known quarters of the world, 

 were very soon known to the people who frequent- 

 ed their coasts. 



It may also be concluded, that no large species 

 remain to be discovered in America, as there is no 

 good reason that can be assigned why any such 

 should exist in that country with which we are un- 

 acquainted, and in fact none has been discovered 

 there during the last hundred and fifty years. The 

 tapir, jaguar, puma, cabiai or capibara, glama, vi- 

 cunna, red-wolf, buffalo, or American bison, ant- 

 eaters, sloths, and armadillos, are all contained in 

 the works of Margrave and Hernandez, as well 



