250 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



SECT. II. 



Species which Count de Buffon has confounded with others 

 that are different. 



The Guanaco with the Llama or Gliama (/) 



The Vicugna with the Paco. 



The Citli with the Tapete or Tapiiti (u) 



The Huiztlacuatzin, or Mexican porcupine, with the 



Cuandu or porcupine of Guiana (#). 

 The Tlacocelotl with the Ocelotl (j). 

 The Tepeitzcuintli, or mountain dog of Mexico with the 



Glutton (V). 

 The Xoloitzcuintli, or bald dog with the Wolf. 



The 



(t) Befides other characters of diftin&ion between the Llama, the Guanaco, 

 the Vicugna, and Paco, they have never been known to copulate though put 

 together in one place. If this circumftance is fufficient to allow us to infer a dif- 

 ference of fpecies between the dog and the wolf, quadrupeds very fimilar in ex- 

 ternal figure and internal organization, what ought we to conclude refpecting 

 four quadrupeds which are more different from each other than the dog is from 

 the wolf ? 



(«) To render ourfelves certain of the difference between the Citli and the Ta- 

 pete it is fufficient to compare the defcriptiona which Hernandez and Buffon give 

 of each. 



(x ) See what we have faid in the firft book of our Hiftory concerning the dif- 

 ference between the Mexican oftrich and that of Guiana. 



(y) The count de Buffon is defirous of perfuading us that the Tlacocelotl and 

 Ocelotl are but one fame animal ; the laft the male, the other the female ; that 

 Ocelotl is the fame name with Tlacocelotl excepting the fyncope. We might as 

 well fay chat Cams is not different from Semicanis, and that Tygris is the fame as 

 Semitygris, becaufe the Mexican Ocelotl is the fame thing with Tygris and Tlaco- 

 celotl means nothing but Semitygris. The count de Buffon is not blameable for 

 not knowing the Mexican language ; but neither ought he to be excufed for de- 

 ciding on matters in which he was ignorant. Hernandez, who faw and examin- 

 ed as a naturalift both thofe two wild animals, certainly deferves the greater 

 credit. 



(z) See what we have faid refpecting thefe three laft quadrupeds in our fourth 

 differtation. 



