41 



South America possesses one hundred and 

 eighty, and North America abput one hun- 

 dred and thirty species. Doubtless this 

 number will be much increased by the fu- 

 ture exertions of our naturahsts ; the small- 

 er quadrupeds will furnish, of course, the 

 largest proportion, and the examination of 

 our fossil relics, will probably add to the 

 number. 



During the past year we have been fa- 

 vored with the first attempt at a systematic 

 arrangement of our mammalia, under the 

 title of Fauna Americana^ or a description of 

 the mammiferous animals inhabiting North 

 America. One hundred and forty-seven 

 species are described in this work, of which 

 fourteen are new, and of these four are now 

 extinct. The author. Dr. Harlan, has exer- 

 cised much ingenuity and industry in assem- 

 bling together the scattered notices and 

 descriptions of his cotemporaries, arranging 

 them in systematic order, and adding his own 

 discoveries, which are numerous and valua- 

 ble. Previous to the appearance of this vo- 

 lume, little attention had been paid by our 

 naturalists to the only sure and firm basis on 

 which the genera of Mammalia can be con- 



