THE NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



CLASS I. IMAMMALIA. 



VIVIPAROUS, OR BRINGING FORTH THEIR YOUNG ALIVE. SUCKLE THEIR YOUNG BY MAMM^ OR 

 TEATS, AND HENCE THE NAME. FURNISHED WITH WARM RED BLOOD. HEART WITH TWO 

 AURICLES AND TWO VENTRICLES ; BREATHING BY LUNGS. BODY USUALLY COVERED WITH 

 HAIR, AND FURNISHED IN MOST CASES WITH FOUR FEET. 



The characters assigned to this class are sufficiently distinctive ; and yet, with the single 

 exception of suckling their young, none are absolute or invariable. Thus in the Manis and 

 Armadillo of South America, the body is covered with scales ; in the Manatus of Florida, 

 there are but two feet ; and these in the IMiales, Porpoises, &c. are reduced to the shape 

 and functions of fins. In the totality of the characters, however, we obtain a correct idea of 

 the class under consideration. 



According to the generally received arrangement of the animals of this class, it is divided 

 into seven orders.* The characters of two of these are derived from the number or strux;tural 

 functions of their extremities ; of three, from the form, disposition or entire absence of their 

 teeth; of the sixth, from the nature of the coverings of their feet; and of the scvenih, from 

 the form of their body, and the element in which they live, and the peculiar shape and arrange- 

 ment of their extremities. 



♦ From the lime of Aristotle to the present day, Man has invariably been pUced at the lieail of this class. Tliere are not 

 wanting, however, many eminent naturalists, who arc unwilling to see Man standing as a representative of a Genus, or even of 

 of an Order among his kindred brutes ; who ore not disposed to admit that Man, created in the iniagc of God, has any aflinily 

 with the beasts that perish ; or that, because he possesses certain zoological characters which arc entirely secondary and subor- 

 dinate, he should be classed with lirates, when his noblest attribute, reason, destroys every vestige of aflinily, and places liim 

 immeasurably above them all. 



Fauna. 1 



