52 THE NOMENCLATURE 



baboons, and an intermediate fpecies between 

 them and the monkeys ; nine monkeys ; (tveii 

 fapajous ; and fix fagoins. All the others, or 

 at leaft moft of them, ought to be regarded as 

 Varieties only. But, as we are uncertain whe- 

 ther fome of thcfe varieties may not be diftin£t 

 fpecies, we fliall endeavour to give all of them 

 proper names. 



On this occafion, let us confider terreflrial 

 animals, fome of which have a great refemblance 

 to man, in a new point of view. The whole 

 have improperly received the general name of 

 quadrupeds. If the exceptions were few, we 

 would not have found fault with the applica- 

 tion of this name. It was formerly remarked, 

 that our definitions and denominations, how- 

 ever general, never comprehend the whole ; 

 that beings always exift which elude the moft 

 cautious definitions which ever were invented ; 

 that intermediate beings are always difcovercd ; 

 that feveral of them, though apparently holding 

 a middle ftation, efcape from the lift ; and that 

 the general names, under which we mean to in- 

 clude them, are incomplete; becaufe Nature 

 fhould be confidered by unities only, and not 

 by aggregates ; becaufe man has invented ge- 

 neral denominations with the fole view of aid- 

 ing his memory, and fupplying the dcfedls 

 of his underftanding ; and becaufe. he after- 

 wards fooliihly confidered thefe general names 

 as realities ; and, ii:i fine, becaufe he has en- 

 deavoured 



