CLASS I. 



MAMMALIA* 



The rivers with their dry banks, and the retiring mountains, refound "with the bleating of 

 flocks, and the frequent lowing of the herds. — Virgil. 



TH E Mammalia are fuch animals as nourifh their young by means of la&iferous 

 teats or paps. In their flru&ure, both external and internal, and in their various 

 organs, they refemble man. They are for the molt part quadrupeds, or having four 

 legs and feet ; and, along with us, they inhabit the furface of the earth, environed 

 with cruel enemies : The largeft in fize, though by far the fmalleft: in number, being 

 furnifhed with fins, inhabit the ocean. 



The clothing of quadrupeds is compofed of foft, feparate, flexible hair, little fubjecl: 

 to injury, which is more plentifully bellowed on the inhabitants of cold regions than 

 on thofe which live in the warmer parts of the earth. This hair coalefces together, on 

 Urchins and Porcupines, to form fpines or prickles ; on the Manis thefe are flattened 

 into fharp pointed fcales ; and they are united into a fhelly coat on the Armadillo : The 

 fur is often divided by diflinct ridges, as in the Dog and Horfe ; and thofe ridges, on 

 the Horfe and Hog, are fometimes elongated into a mane. In aquatic quadrupeds the 

 hair is altogether wanting, left it fhould abforb the wet; except in fuch as are fometimes 

 obliged to live on fhore. The face of animals is frequently furnifhed with briftly warts; 



the 



* The term Mammalia, here ufed, fignirles fuch animals as feed their young by milk derived from 

 proper glands fituated on the mother, and furnifhed with teats or paps. There is no fingle Englifh 

 word by which this can be translated ; Quadrupeds would exclude the Cetaceous order, which, from 

 giving milk, are arranged by Linnaeus in this clafs, — T, 



Vol. I. E 



