40 



FIRST CLASS OF THE VERTEBRATED ANIMALS. 



tribe remarkable for its ^eat resemblance to Man, and the natural propensity to 

 imitate his actions — qualities which are combined with some degree of skill and 

 intelligence, a singular liveliness of disposition, and innate fondness for mischief. It 

 is said that they form regularly organized bodies in their native forests, and establish 

 among themselves a kind of rude police for pillaging or guarding the fruits of the 

 diflFerent districts. The females carry their young in their arms like the Negresses, and 

 are often observed to kiss them tenderly, and frequently to beat or bite them as a 

 punishment. This close resemblance between the Ape and the human species when 

 in the savage state, will hereafter become ihe subject of our consideration. 



The Makis, a branch of the Quadrumana, are diminutive like the Apes, whom 

 they resemble greatly, both in manners and disposition, but are at once distinguished 

 by their pointed muzzle. They live mostly on Insects, and are marked by meagre 

 and elongated lingers and arms. 



3. Carnassiees After this family we find the Bats, which bear a near relation 



to the preceding, both in general conformation, and in having their mammce placed 

 on the chest. Their wing-like arms, and their elongated fingers attached to a mem- 

 braneous expansion, impart the power of flying, or rather of supporting themselves by 

 a rapid succession of vaulting movements. They are all of a hideous aspect. The 

 young cling to their mother, who gives them the breast even when flying. Unable, 

 by the delicacy of their eyes, to endure the full blaze of day, they appear only at night, 

 when they vault rather than fly after the insects which form their prey. In tho 

 warmer climates there are enormous Bats, which live also on the fruits of trees. 

 All these animals hang by their thumb-nails in the depths of obscure grottoes, 

 caverns, and other retreats, and in our chmates they are observed to become torpid 

 during the winter. 



The remaining tribes cf Carnassiers follow the preceding races, and constitute two 

 nuraei'ous, as well as interesting families. Among the Insectivora, we find the 

 Hedgehogs (Ej-inaceus), the Shrews (Sorex), and the Moles (^Talpa). The paws of 

 the last are not very unlike hands in their general appearance, and are used for 

 digging in the earth, as well as for climbing and raising food to the mouth. All the 

 genera of Insectivora are fond of darkness and retirement. Among the Carnivora 

 we find the family Plantigrada, which walk with the entire soles of the feet upon the 

 ground. In this first tribe of the Carnivora, we have the Bears ( Ursvs), the Badger 

 (Meles), and a few others — mostly linimals of a surly and savage disposition, retiring 

 during the winter into caverns and other obscure retreats. Among the Digitigruda, 

 forming the second family of the Carnivora, we find the "Weasels (Mustela)^ the 

 Otters (^Lvtra), the Civets ( Viverra), possessed of a fine and glossy fur, a long and 

 slender form, and a light step. Concealing themselves among crevices, they steal 

 slyly upon their prey, whose blood they suck with delight. The animals of tho 

 Genus Blephitis exhale a most insupportable odour. The Otters frequent the 

 borders of streams or the sea shore, and seek their prey in the water. Among the 

 more ferocious Djgitigrada, we find the Wild Dog, Wolves, Fo5:es, and Jackalls 

 {Canis), with the Hyjcna — animals with a keen sense of smell, hunting together in 

 packs, and overcoming by force of numbers the most powerful beasts of prey. They 

 present a haughty demeanour, an elevated head, and are eminent at once for bril- 

 liancy of instinct, and for sanguinary courage. In the last quality they are only 

 surpassed by the Lion, the Tigers, Leopards, Panthers, and the Lynx, all forming 

 part of an extensive genus {FeliT)^ of which our domestic Cat is considered the 

 type. These animals are enabled by their strong and retractile claws to climb with 

 facihty. Their head is round, their eyes glitter in the darkness of night, their 

 tongue is roughened like a file, and their teeth are exceedingly powerful. They wait 

 for their prey ; with a sudden spring they dash it to the ground, and enjoy with ecstasy 

 ihe flesh yet throbbing from the breast of their victim, and the blood still warm from 

 its heart. Among the Amphibia, which conclude the long list of Carnassiers, we find 

 the Seals (^PhoccE) and the Morse {Trichechus), animals which greatly resemble the 

 Cetacea in external form and habits, but differ decidedly from them in the structure 

 of the teeth. 



4. RoDENTiA. — The family of Gnawers follow the Carnassiers, from whom they 

 are separated by very distinct characters. We find in them two long cutting teeth, 

 in the front of each jaw, no canines, but molars, and intestines of great capacity. 

 These timid animals, destined for the most part to gnaw vegetable substances, do not 

 eat flesh except imder extraordinary circumstances. Their hinder legs, and the entire 

 hinder part of their body, is stronger than the fore, and they run and leap rapidly. 

 Their muzzle is more or less arched, their eyes project, yet their sight is not acute, 

 but this deficiency is compensated by the fineness of their hearing. Such is the 

 general character of the Dormice (Myoxus), the Marmots (^Arciomys)^ the Hamsters 

 (^CriceUts), the Field Mice {Arvicolajy animals which become torpid during the 

 winter season ; also the Squirrels (ScuiriisJ, the numerous tribes of Rats and Mice 

 CMusJt the Hares (^LepusJ, the Guinea-Pigs (^Cavia), the blind Rat (Spalax), the 

 Beavers (Castor^, the Porcupines {Hystrix^, and some others. We find the most 

 singular habits and instincts am.ong these animals. The industr}"" of the Beavers is 

 known to all, and the sagacity and skill with which they fell trees by means of their 

 powerful teeth, draw them across rivers, form dikes with their hand-like paws, and 

 construct cabins above the water, where they amass stores of bark for their main- 

 tenance. Their large and flat tail serves them as a trowel to work up the earth with 

 which they form the walls of their singular masonry. Every one is familiar with the 

 nimblenesb of the Squirrels (^Sciunis) ; but all are not aware of that instinct which 

 leads them to peel off a piece of bark from a tree, when about to cross a brook. 

 Mounting this frail boat, with their bushy l^il stretched like a sail before the breeze, 

 they gain the opposite bank in safety. In the genus Pteromys, we find the Flying 

 Squirrels provided with a membrane extending from the fore to the hind feet, so that, 

 by stretching out their limbs, tlioy form a parachute, which assists their great leaps 

 from tree to tree. Many species of Rats (il/«s), and Field I\Iice (Arvicola), live in 

 the earth, united together in social bands, where they amass magazines of provisions, 

 and construct warm retreats of hay and moss, for their protection during the winter. 

 The Ham.sters (Cncetus)^ have large cheeks, which they fill with provisions, and 

 transport the contents to their subterranean retreats. There are other Rodentia, such 

 as the Lemmings {Lemmus), which emigrate every year, according to the seasons, to 



gather the provisions which Nature has scattered over difl'erent countries. Certain 

 species of econom.ical Mice in Tartary, collect so large a quantity of nutritious roots, 

 that the people of that inhospitable climate avail themselves of the supply afforded by 

 their nests as a provision for themselves during the winter. In the East Indies and 

 in Africa, we find Jerboas (Dipvs), a kind of Rat with hind-legs of so great a length, 

 that they are supported almost in a vertical position, and are enabled, hke grasshop- 

 pers, to leap continually, and to an immense distance. 



5. Edentata — The first tribe (Tardigrada) of the Edentata, is composed of 

 those singular animals found in America, called Sloths (Jiradypus), from the exces- 

 sive slowness of their movements. They present some shght resemblance to the 

 Monkey tribes in their general form, and in the circumstance of their mammje being 

 pectoral, but they are destitute of the front teeth, and instead of hands, exhibit large 

 crooked nails fitted for climbing on trees. They live entirely upon leaves, and lead a 

 life which we would consider melancholy, uttering the most lamentable cries, and 

 moving themselves with great apparent difficulty. Of the remaining tribe composing 

 the true Edentata, we find that nature has provided some compensating protection for 

 the want of canine and incisive teeth, either by bestowing on them scales, placed one 

 over the other, resembling the sepals or flower-cup-leaves of the artichoke, as may be 

 found in the Manis, or else a bony cuirass of moveable pieces, seen in the Armadilloes 

 (Dasypus). The Ant-eaters (^Myrmecophaga)^ are supplied only with hard and 

 tufted hair, but being altogether destitute of teeth, they are furnished with an elon- 

 gated and viscid tongue, which they extend into the nests of Ants, and these insects, 

 adhering to it in numbers, are speedily brought into their mouth. 



6. Marsufialia. — Commencing with our first tribe, Didelphida, we find in America, 

 the Opossums {Didelphis), and in New Holland, the Dasyurus — animals which are 

 more remarkable than perhaps any of the preceding. In form, they somewhat resem- 

 ble a very small Fox, with a long tail, naked and flexible at will, while their fore- 

 paws approach the form of hands. But the singular part of their structure is the 

 abdominal pouch found in the females, which serves as a double womb. The young 

 arc produced before their time, and attach themselves iramoveably to the teats of the 

 mother, which are placed within the pouch. After their second birth, they retreat 

 into this natural pocket, which protects them from the severity of the cold. When 

 arrived at a more advanced age, they climb upon the back of their mother, and, by 

 means of a long and flexible tail, they hook themselves to her tail or limbs, so that 

 she is able to carry them when alarmed, in this manner, and can run or chmb trees 

 with considerable speed when pursued. This tribe is naturally carnivorous, feedino- 

 on birds and other small prey. The second tribe, Macropoda, of which the Kan- 

 garoo (Macropus) may bo considered the type, contains several remarkable animals, 

 some of which are almost as large as our sheep. They have strong and larn-e hind- 

 limbs, with a long and stiff tail, collectively forming a tripod, upon which they stand, 

 or rather sil, securely. In this position they usually remain, for their fore-paws are 

 very short, and arc used only as hands. Instead of walking, they move nimbly by 

 a succession of elevated leaps ; but as their feeble progeny are unable to follow their 

 mother in this rapid movement, a kind and benevolent Nature has bestowed upon them 

 an abdominal pouch, like the Opossums, to transport their young ones. These species 

 are of a mild disposition, are easily tamed, and possess that timidity which we find 

 in most animals living exclusively upon vegetable food. The last tribe (Monotre- 

 mata) are also found in New Holland. These quadrupeds are covered either with 

 smooth or bristly hair ; but instead of jaws, they exhibit the singular anomaly of a 

 beak exactly resembling that of a Duck, with repioductive organs like the Birds. 

 These curious animals frequent the water, and burrow under ground. 



Nearly all the genera of which we have spoken in the preceding outline have 

 Clavicles, or collar-bones, which enable them to use their fore-feet for other purposes 

 than walking. They can seize various objects; their fingers are separate and fur- 

 nished with nails, which distinguishes them from the Ungulated or Fissipede classes. 

 The former are also, in general, more expert and intelligent than the species of which 

 we shall now treat ; for the Ungulated animals being less free in the motions of their 

 limbs, have also less skill and intelligence. The Ungulated Mammalia are mostly 

 polygamous. That fond affection for their offspring which is found in the Unguicu- 

 lated classes, is almost unnecessary with them, as their young are more precocious, 

 that is, they arrive sooner at the full exercise of their faculties than the progeny of 

 the Unguiculated Mammalia. 



7. Pachyderjiata, — In the first rank of Ungulated Mammalia, we find the 

 Elephant distinguished by the superiority of his intelligence from the proper Pachy- 

 dermata. These last mentioned animals are, on the contrary, very rude and unintelli- 

 gent. They are covered with thinly scattered bristles rather than hair. The form 

 of their bodies is clumsy and inelegant. They are fond of wallowing in the mire, 

 and of frequenting the water, or low and moist grounds, where they live on coarse 

 food, such as stalks and roots. Their sight is not acute, but their sense of smelling 

 is very fine. Under the skin, we usually find a thick layer of lard, which renders 

 thera but slightly sensitive, except towards the nose and mouth. We next find the 

 interesting family of the Sohpeda, so called from their feet being enveloped in a single 

 hoof, such as the Horse, Ass, Zebra, and some other animals, all of the genus Equus, 

 which are equally fitted for running rapidly, or for the transportation of burdens. 



8. Ruminaktia. — Arriving at the ruminating animals, we here find the genera of 

 the Camel and Dromedary {Camelus), the Lama and Vicugna (.4?ic/ie7iza), the 

 Musk (Moschus), the Elk, Rein-deer, Stag, Fallow-deer (Cervus), the gigantic 

 Caraclopard (CanielopardaHs), the beautiful Gazelles or Antelopes (Jntilopa), the 

 Goats (,Capra), the Sheep (Ovis), the Buffalo, Musk-Ox, and common Ox [^os), 

 and many others of great interest. All these animals are readily marked by their 

 cloven feet, that is, their feet divided into two hoofs, by the horns which most of 

 them possess, and by the want of front teeth in the upper jaw. Those ruminating 

 animals naturally without horns, like the Camels, Vicugna, and Musk, find an equi- 

 valent in the canine teeth of their upper-jaw. Among the Deer, the horns are 

 branched, and fall each year after the rutting season, when their warlike ardour is 

 over. In the other genera, the bonis are hollow, and fit firmly into a bony recep- 

 tacle, which prevents them from falling. All these animals feed on grass or leaves ; 

 they have four stomachs, and ruminate, that is, they restore their food a second time 



