242 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



CATS. 



OUR philofophers fay nothing in particular concern- 

 ing the degeneracy of cats in America : but they ought 

 to be comprehended in their univerfal affertion. Never- 

 thelefs count de BufFon, who in the palfage above quot- 

 ed does not admit any exception in that which he fays of 

 the - degeneracy of animals in America, treating after- 

 wards of cats in particular, after boafting thofe of 

 Spain as the befl: of all, he affirms that thefe Spanifli 

 cats tranfported to America have preferved their fine 

 colours, and have not in the lead degenerated (p). 



Thefe are the quadrupeds (q) tranfported from the 

 old to the new continent, all of which, except camels, 

 have multiplied exceffivcly, and have preferved without 

 alteration their corpulence, their figure, and the perfec- 

 tion of their originals ; which is confirmed partly by the 

 confeffion of thefe philofophers themfelves, partly by the 

 depofitions of European authors who are impartial, ju- 

 dicious, and well experienced in thofe countries j and 

 partly by the notoriety alfo of what we have alleged, and 

 which we truft cannot be confuted. We do not doubt 

 that candid readers will be fenfible from what we have 

 fet forth of the miftakes and contradictions of thefe phi- 

 lofophers occafioned by their ridiculous attempt to dif- 

 credit the new world, the fallacy of their obfervations, 

 the infufficiency of their arguments, and the raflinefs of 

 their cenfure. 



CATALOGUE 



(p) Hiftoire Nat. torn. xi. 



(g) The count de BufFon adds to the above mentioned quadrupeds tranf- 

 ported to America the Guinea pig and the rabbit ; but affirms that thofe two 

 fpecies have profpered. With refpecl: to mice it would certainly be a great dif- 

 trefs to America if they could not live in that climate. 



