206 



ON ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, AND THE 



laena, common whale ; physeter, cachalot, or spermaceti whale ; and del- 

 phinus or dolphin, including as two of its species the phocoena or porpoise, 

 the orca or grampus, and the dugong. 



There is some force in introducing these sea-monsters into the same 

 class with quadrupeds : but they are still contmued here by M. Cuvier. 

 They have a general concurrence of structure in the heart, lungs, back- 

 bone, and organ for suckling ; but their teeth have little resemblance ; and 

 they have neither nostrils, feet, nor hair ; instead of nostrils, possessing a 

 spiracle or blowing-hole on the fore and upper-part of the head ; and in- 

 stead of feet, fins ; in which, as well as in their general habits, manners, 

 and residence in the waters, they have a close resemblance to fishes. 

 These are chiefly inhabitants of the polar seas, and several of the larger 

 species afford materials that are highly valuable as articles of commerce 

 or manufactures. All of them produce a considerable quantity of blubber 

 or the basis of the coarser animal oils ; the commoa whale sometimes to as 

 large a quantity as 6 or 8,0001b. weight : from the horny laminae of whose 

 upper jaw as well as from that of the balsena Physalus or fin-fish, we ob- 

 tain also extensive layers of whalebone ; while the cachalot supplies us with 

 spermaceti from its head, and with ambergris from some of its digestive 

 organs ; a substance, however, only to be procured from such organs when 

 the animal is in a state of sickness. The most warlike of the order is the 

 grampus, which will oflen engage with a cachalot or a common whale of 

 double its size, and continiiR thp nnntfist till it has destroyed it. 



To this order also belongs the dugong or sea-cow of Sumatra, which 

 has of late excited so much attention among naturalists. It was at one 

 time supposed to be a hippopotamus or river-horse, but Sir Thomas Raffles 

 has of late sufficiently proved it to be a cetaceous mammal. It is usually 

 taken on the Malacca coast by spearing ; its length is often from eight to 

 nine feet. Its front extremities are two finny paddles ; its only hind ex- 

 tremity is its tail, which is a very powerful instrument. It is never found 

 on land or in fresh water, but generally in the shallows and inlets of the 

 sea ; the breasts of the adult females are of a large size, and especially 

 during the time of suckling. Its food seems to consist entirely of fuci and 

 submarine algae, which it finds and browses upon at the bottom of the shal- 

 low inlets of the sea, where it chiefly inhabits. Its flesh resembles that of 

 young beef, and is very delicate and juicy.* 



In M. Cuvier's arrangement the class of mammals is entirely recast, and 

 divided into three orders, or principal sections, as distinguished by claws 

 or nails, by hpofs, or by fin-like feet ; while the whole of these orders are 

 further subdivided into eleven distinct families, of which the first six belong 

 to the first order ; the three next to the second ; and the two last to the 

 third. 



The six families belonging to the first order, the nail or claw-footed, 

 are these : 



I. Bimanum : two-handed. Thumbs separate on the superior extremi- 

 ties only. Designed to include man alone. 



II. Quadrumana : four-handed. Thumbs or great toes separate on 

 each of the four feet. Monkeys and maucaucoes. 



III. Sarcophaga : flesh feeders. No separate thumbs or great toes on 

 the anterior extremities. Bats, flying lemurs, hedge-hogs, shrews, moles^ 

 bears, weasels, civets, cats, including the lion and tiger-tribes ; dogs, 

 eluding the fox and wolf-tribes, and the opossums. 



* Ph)t. Trans. 1820, p. 174. 



