Miscellaneous. 299 



only three genera found in North America are not met with in South America. 



The species of North American Sorex very closely resemble those of Europe. 



The Marsupiata, so eminently characteristic of New Holland, and also abund- 

 ant in South America, have only three representatives in North America ; and 



two of these reach no higher than Mexico ; but the Virginian opossum ranges 



from Paraguay to the great Canadian lakes. 



The family Carnivora contains about forty species, many of which are also 



met with in Europe, unless a closer examination shall hereafter enable natura- 

 lists to distinguish some of those which are now considered to be identical. 



With the exception of a very few generabelonging to the South American group 



the rest are all common to Europe also. 



In the Plantigrada, there are four bears, two of which are peculiar to the 



new world, one of them ranging farther to the north than any other quadruped. 



Cuvier considers the wolverine as identical with that of Europe. The Mustel» 

 do not range farther to the South than the northern or middle provinces of the 



United States. It is very uncertain whether any of this genus are identical with 

 those of Europe. There are three otters, and one of them seems to be identi- 

 cal with our own, whilst the Lutra Brasiliensis, if truly North American, is equally 

 an inhabitant of the Arctic sea, and a great part of South America. Eight spe- 

 cies of Canis have been described, but there is great difficulty in discriminating 

 them, as well as in identifying any of them with those of Europe. There are 

 also eight species of Felis, some of which, however, are uncertain, and three 

 range from South America into the South Western States. There are nine spe- 

 cies of Amphibia, which mostly range through the northern seas of both the old 

 and new worlds. The genus Otaria is peculiar to the North Pacific, but is found 

 on the Asiatic coast, as well as on that of North West America. 



Rodentia This order is eminently characteristic of North America, which 



contains more species, and a greater variety of distinct forms than any other part 

 of the world. Between seventy and eighty are already known. The squirrels 

 are as yet very imperfectly determined. The marmots are abundant, and only 

 one of them is probably common to Europe. There is one only of the restrict- 

 ed genus Mus, which is certainly indigenous, and this closely resembles our M. 

 sylvestris. 



Edentata The fossil Megatherium and Megalonyx are dispersed through both 



the continents of America, but only three or four living species of this order be- 

 long to North America. The order itself is peculiarly characteristic of South 

 American zoology. 



Pachydermata This order is rich in fossil species, which in America are 



more than twice as numerous as those now living, and these do not amount to 

 more than three or four species, and are found both in North and South Ame- 

 rica. Fossil bones of the horse occur at Kotzebue's Sound, though the present 

 race of this quadruped has been undoubtedly imported. Remains of fossil ele- 

 phants and mastodons are met with in the most northern regions. 



Muminantia. — Of thirteen species of this order already ascertained to inhabit 

 North America, two are common to Europe, and have a high range. The deer 

 are very imperfectly determined ; but the rein-deer proceeds south, as far as 

 Columbia river on the west, and New Brunswick on the east. The musk-ox, 

 so abundant in the north, is not found either in Greenland or Asia. 



Cetacea Some of these, as the seals, are very imperfectly determined. 



