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ON THE 



hoof-like nails ; and as these of the animals are 

 clumsy in their make, and slow in their motions, 

 this order has been denominated. Bruta. Jt 

 consists of eight Genera, namely, the Rhinoce- 

 ros the Elephant, the Walrus, or Sea Horse, 

 the Sloth, the \nt Eater, the Manis, the Arma- 

 dillo, and the Platypus, or Duck's BUI Animal ; 

 of which I have selected the Elephant and Pla- 

 typus for particular description; the first being 

 rendered highly interesting froiii the peculiarity 

 of its structure, aud more so, from its superior 

 intelligence ; the latter, from its conformation 

 being opposed to every other animal ; having a 

 bill like that of the Duck species, engrafted 

 on the head and body of a quadruped. 



The Elephant is the largest of existing quad- 

 rupeds, and exceeds in magnitude every other 

 known animal but the Whale. He is an inha- 

 bitant of the hottest latitudes of Asia and Africa, 

 the chief distinction of whose Elephants is to 

 be observed in the more or less arched form of 

 the head, in the shape of the teeth, and in the 

 size and quality of the tusks. 



He has never been seen in the wild state, either 

 in Europe or America, though it is well known 

 that fossil remains of very large Elephants, and 

 of several other tropical animals, are frequently 

 to be met with in the upper formations of both 

 those portions of the globe, and in many parts 

 of this country in particular. 



