19& 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



counts the dog, the moufe, and marmotte ; and adds, 

 that no one of thofe quadrupeds was in America ; but 

 treating afterwards of the animals common to both con- 

 tinents, he fays, that the marmots and mice are common 

 to each continent, although it is difficuh to decide if fuch 

 American quadrupeds are of the fame fpecies with thofe 

 of the old continent ; and in vol. xvi. he affirms, that 

 mice were carried to America in European veffels. With 

 refpecl to dogs, which, in the above enumeration, he de- 

 nies to America, he grants them to it in vol. xxx. for he 

 affirms that the Xoloitzcuintli, the Itzcuintepotzotli, and 

 Techichi, were three different breeds of the fame fpecies 

 of dogs with thofe of the old conrinent. This fketch is 

 fufficient to mew that Mr. Buffon, notwithstanding his 

 great genius and great diligence, fometimes forgets what 

 he has written. 



Among the one hundred and thirty fpecies of quadru- 

 peds of the old continent, he enumerates feven fpecies 

 of bats common in France and other countries of Eu- 

 rope, five of which, that were hitherto unknown and 

 confounded with others, were lately difcovered and dif- 

 tinguiftied by Mr. Daubenton, as he affirms in vol. xvi 

 of his Hillory. If then in learned France, where fo ma- 

 ny centuries have been paffed in the ftudy of natural 

 hiftory, five fpecies of bats were hitherto unknown, 

 what wonder is it that in the vaft regions of America, 

 where no fuch able naturalifts have gone yet, and where 

 but lately that ftudy has been in efteem, fhould remain 

 many fpecies of quadrupeds ftill unknown ? We do 

 not doubt that if there had been fome Buffons and Dau- 

 bentons in the new world, they would have been able 

 to have counted a few more quadrupeds than he num- 

 bers from Paris, where he cannot be informed refpe&ing 



American 



