39 



every separate genus of this class, and ex- 

 hibit the labors of our naturalists in each. 

 This would, however be inconsistent with 

 the brevity requisite on this occasion. It 

 will be sufficient to indicate, in a general 

 manner, the efforts made to illustrate the 

 several great subdivisions of the animal 

 kingdom. 



Mammalia. Few works professedly on the 

 animals of this class, have appeared in this 

 country. To this division is naturally to 

 be referred all investigations connected 

 with the natural history of man. The histo- 

 ry of the American race has received consi- 

 derable elucidation from the labors of Mac 

 Culloch, Heckewelder, and the naturalists 

 attached to the two expeditions under Major 

 Long. It was natural to expect that the phy- 

 sical history of man would have attracted the 

 attention of the first visitors to this country, 

 but their limited views are evinced by a 

 perusal of their respective voyages. Even 

 in those which have been projected for the 

 purpose of extending our acquaintance with 

 the different varieties of the human race, we 

 may observe that the inhabitants of newly 

 discovered countries are described, more 



