CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 1. BIMANA. 
35 
and ferocity. Many inhabit the trees ; some burrow beneath the soil ; a few raise themselves 
into the air, and flit about in search of their insect prey. The otter and the seal persecute the 
fishes in their own element, while the gigantic whale wallows upon the surface of the sea, or 
plunges into its fathomless deptlis. With such diversity of habits, we might expect great variety 
in their structure ; and this will be fully realized in the ensuing description of the various species. 
THE SUPREMACY OF MAN OVER THE ANIMAL CREATION. 
ORDER 1. BIMANA. 
Genus HOMO : Species Man : Homo sapiens. — ]\Ian is regarded by naturalists as constituting the 
Genus Homo, he being its sole representative. The various tribes and races of mankind are era- 
braced in one species, Homo sajyiens : that is, man endoioed with reason. His zoological character- 
istics, as given by Blumenbach, are as follows : " Erect ; two-handed ; unarmed ; rational ; endowed 
with speech ; a prominent chin ; four incisor teeth above and below ; all the teeth equally approxi- 
mated; the canine teeth of the same length as the others; the lower incisors erect." He is the 
highest being in the animal series. That he Avas made to be the lord of creation is ahke evident 
from physiology, revelation, and history : he has mastered the horse, the whale, the ox, the lion, 
and the tiger — eithei subjecting them to his use, or sweeping them from his path. 
PECULIAR CONFOEMATION OF MAN. 
Attempts have been made to assimilate man in his structure to some of the mammalia, and es- 
pecially the apes, but a careful examination proves him to be essentially different. 
The foot of man is very different from that of apes : it is large , the leg bears vertically upon 
it ; the heel is expanded "beneath ; his toes are short, and but slightly flexible ; the great toe, 
longer and larger than the rest, is placed on the same line with and cannot be opposed to them. 
Tills foot, then, is proper for supporting the body, but cannot be used for seizing or climbing ; and 
as the hands are unfitted for walking, man is the only animal truly himanous and hiped. 
The whole body of man is modified for the vertical position. His feet, as we have already seen, 
furnish him with a larger base than those of other mammalia; the muscles which retain the 
foot and thigh in the state of extension are more vigorous, whence results the sweUing of the calf 
and the pai't above the thigh ; the flexors of the leg are attached higher up, which permits of 
complete extension of the knee, and renders the calf more apparent. The pelvis is larger, which 
