GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 167 



MAMMALS. 



(Class XIV. of the Animal Kingdom.) 



Viviparous animals with mammae ; four jointed legs or only two ; 

 complete respiration by lungs, not pierced through externally ; hair on 

 parts of the body. 



Observations. 



Nature clearly proceeds from the simplest to the most complex in 

 her operations on living bodies ; hence the mammals necessarily 

 constitute the last class of the animal kingdom. 



This class undoubtedly comprises the most perfect animals, with 

 the greatest number of faculties, the highest intelHgence and, lastly, 

 the most complex organisation. 



Since the organisation of these animals approaches most nearly to 

 that of man they display a more perfect combination of senses and 

 faculties than any others. They are the only ones that are really 

 viviparous, and have mammae to suckle their young. 



The mammals thus exhibit the highest complexity of animal organ- 

 isation, and the greatest perfection and number of faculties that 

 nature could confer on living bodies by means of that organisation. 

 They should thus be placed at the end of the immense series of existing 

 animals. 



TABLE OF MAMMALS. 



OeDBB 1. — -BXTTNGULATE MaMMAIS. 



Two limbs only : they are anterior, short, flattened, suitable for swimming, 

 and have neither claws nor hoofs. 



Cetaceans. 



Right-whale. Narwhal. 



Rorqual. Anarnak. 



Physale. Delphinapterus. 



Cachalot. Dolphin. 



Sperm-whale. Hyperodon. 



Oedeb 2. — Amphibian Mammals. 

 Four limbs : the two anterior short, fin-lihe, with unguiculate digits ; the 

 posterior directed backtvards, or united with the extremity of the body, 

 which is like a fish's tail. 



wls}f P--P«<^«- «• ^•^- Sra?fe)[S-nia. H. E.]. 



Observation. 

 This order is only placed here, on account of the general shape of the animals 

 it contains. (See my observation, p. 74.) 



