

s SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES "^ 



OF THE CLASS 



MAMMALIA. 



I 



p The preceding supplemental essays on the text of our 

 I author, like the text itself, by no means furnish even a 

 I sketch of all the species hitherto described, but as the ex- 

 I amination of the most ingenious machinery, however inte- 

 I resting in the detail of all its parts, is but an idle amuse- 

 I ment, unless the final object and utility of the machine itself 

 i!;, be borne in mind, so the study of the various peculiarities of 

 4 organized nature is but a profitless pursuit unless the cha- 

 racters, habits, and relative situations of the several ani- 

 mals themselves be considered. 

 I Hence some additional biographical matter seemed abso- 

 lutely necessary to the utility of the present undertaking, as 

 otherw^ise that harmonious adaptation of means to ends of 

 I the works of creation, which becomes the more apparent in 

 proportion to the pains bestowed on its investigation, 

 : might be neglected or forgotten. 



I One considerable difficulty in the insertion of additional 

 descriptions and biographical matter is, however, to know 

 where to stop — to feel satisfied that the English reader has 

 been introduced into the hitherto neglci^ted arcana of zoolo- 

 gical science sufficiently to enable him, by drawing conclu- 

 sions in his own mind from the premises stated, to derive 

 ; ^^jfoth profit and amusement from the pursuit; and at (he 



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