LECTURE II. 25 



oviparous quadrupeds, which we shall find to be 

 more properly referred to the Linnaean Amphibia. 

 Among the Mammalia we must not be surprised 

 , to find all the kinds of Whales arranged^ it being 

 well known that those animals nourish their young 

 hy suckling them, in the manner of other Mamma- 

 lia 3 and that in the structure of their skeleton and 

 internal parts, they resemble quadrupeds and not 

 fishes 5 so that they may be considered as Mamma- 

 lia in the disguise of Fislies. 



The doubtful instance which I just mentioned 

 is exemplified in that most singular animal called 

 the Duckbill: a native of New-Holland, and dis- 

 covered but a very few years ago. In this animal 

 we have the appearance of an indistinct alliance to 

 very different tribes, since the bill or snout resem- 

 bles that of a Duck, and, upon the strictest exa- 

 mination that has yet been made, no appearance 

 of teats has been discovered in the female ; so that 

 if the animal be really destitute of those organs, it 

 cannot belong to the Linngean Mammalia, the 

 grand or essential character of which consists in 

 being provided with them. 



The general characters of the Mammalia at 

 large are the following. 



