50 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



tyger, or rabbit, to America : but as in our differtations 

 we have combated this opinion, which refts chiefly on the 

 flight foundation of the imagined impoflibility of ani- 

 mals, which are peculiar to warm countries of the old 

 world, finding a paflfage to the new continent ; it is not 

 neceflary here to interrupt the courfe of our hifl:ory with 

 confuting it. 



The Miztli of the Mexicans, is certainly no other than 

 the lion without hair mentioned by Pliny (^'), and to- 

 tally diftinft from the African lion ; and the Ocelotl is 

 no way different from the African tyger, according to 

 the tefl:imony of Hernandez, who knew both the latter 

 and the former. The Tochtli of Mexico is exactly the 

 rabbit of the old continent, and at leaft as ancient as the 

 Mexican calendar, in which the figure of the rabbit was 

 the firfl: fymbolical character of their years. The wild 

 cats, in fize much larger than the domefl:ic cats, are fierce 

 and dangerous. The bears are all black, and more cor- 

 pulent than thofe which are brought from the Alps into 

 Italy. The hares are difl:inguiflied from thofe of Europe 

 by their longer ears, and the wolves by a grofl^er head. 

 Both fpecies are plentiful in that country. According 

 to M. Buflbn, we give the name Polatuca to the 

 mickpatlan^ or flying rat of the Mexicans. We call it 

 rat, becaufe it refembles it in the head, though it is much 

 larger ; and flyings becaufe in its natural fl:ate the fl<in of 

 its fides is loofe and wrinkled, which it diftends and ex- 

 pands together with its feet like wings when it makes any 

 confiderable leap from tree to tree. The vulgar Spa- 

 niard confounds this quadruped with the common fquir^ 

 rel from their likenefs, but they are undoubtedly differ- 

 ent 



(<•) Pliny, in lib. viii. cap. 1 6. diftinguiflies the two fpecies of lions, with and 

 without hair, and afcertains the number of each fpecies which Pompcy prc- 

 fcnted at the Roman fpcdacles. 



