Mammiferous Animals. 513 



have the crown of the grinders flat, because their feet will riot 

 enable them to seize living prey. 



Animals with nails or claws are susceptible of the greatest 

 variety of forms and regimen, and besides the different form of 

 their grinders, they differ much from each other in the activity 

 and delicacy of their toes or fingers. There is one character 

 in particular which has prodigious influence on their skill and 

 address, and multiplies their means of industry : it is the 

 faculty of applying the thumb to the other fingers, in order to 

 seize small objects. It is this faculty which constitutes what 

 is properly called a hand ; it is carried to the highest perfec- 

 tion in man, the whole fore extremity or hand being entirely 

 free, it can be employed in grasping. 



These different combinations, which strictly determine the 

 nature of different mammiferous animals, have led to a divi- 

 sion of them into the following orders : — 



1. The first order is Man, who, besides being exalted in all 

 respects above other animals, has hands at the extremity of 

 his fore limbs only ; the extremities of the lower limbs support 

 him in a vertical position. To this order Cuvier gives the 

 name of Bi'manes (from bis^ twice, and mantis, a hand), or two- 

 handed. 



2. The order approaching the nearest to man in form is 

 that of the Quadru^manes, or four-handed. The animals of 

 this order have hands at the four extremities of their limbs ; 

 as the ape, monkey, &c. 



3. The order of Carnassiers, or flesh-eaters (from caro, 

 flesh, JLat.), has no fore thumb, opposed to the toes or 

 fingers.'* 



All the above orders have three kinds of teeth, grinding or 

 chewing teeth, canine teeth, and incisive teeth. 



4. The order Marsu'pia is so denominated from the Latin 

 marsupium, a bag or purse, on account of the bag under the 

 abdomen in which the females of this order preserve their 

 young ; as the kangaroo, opossum, &c. 



5. The order Rongeurs, or Gnawers ; from the French 

 ronger, to gnaw. The toes of the animals in this order differ 

 little from those of the Carnassiers. They have no canine 

 teeth, but have large incisive teeth in front, which serve them 

 to gnaw their food ; as in the squirrel, beaver, &c. 



6. The order Ede^ntes; from the Latin e, without, and 

 dens, a tooth. The animals of this order have no incisive 

 teeth ; their toes are very much confined, and deeply covered 



* Cuvier divides the order of Carnassiers into several families, one of 

 which, the Carnivores, comprises all the species that devour large animals ; 

 the other families live chiefly on insects or reptiles. 



