OF APES. 53 



deavoured to comprehend under them beings, 

 and even whole claffesof beings, which required 

 different appellations. I can give an example, 

 without departing from the clals of quadrupeds, 

 which, of all animals, we are beft acquainted 

 with, and, of courfe, were in a condition to have 

 beftowed on them tije moft precife denomina- 

 tions. 



The name quadruped fuppofes that the ani- 

 mal has four feet. If it wants two feet, like 

 the manati ; if it has arms and hands, like the 

 ape ; or if it has wings, like the bat ; it is not 

 a quadruped. Hence this general term, when 

 applied to thefe animals, is abufed. To obtain 

 precifion in words, the ideas they prefent muft 

 hg ftri(ftly true. If we had a termfor two hands 

 fimilar to that which denotes two feet, we might 

 then fay that man was the only biped and bima-' 

 ;jMJ,becaufehe alone has two handsand two feet; 

 that the manati is a b'lmanus ; that the bat is 

 only a biped ; and that the ape is a quadrhna- 

 nus^ or four-handed animal. Let us now apply 

 thefe new denominati )ns to all the particular 

 beings to which they belong, and we fhall find, 

 that, from about two hundred animals who go 

 under the common name of quadrupeds, thirty- 

 five ipecies of apes, baboons, monkeys, fapajou?, 

 fagoins, and makis, muft he retrenched, becaufe 

 they are quadrimanus, or four-handed; and that 

 to thefe thirty-five fpecies, tlie loris, or taillefs 

 raaucauco, the Virginian, murine, and Mexican 

 D 3 opoiTum, 



k 



