CHAPTER I 
THE ORDERS OF MAMMALS 
The living mammals of the world, as distinguished from those which are extinct, or fossil, may 
be divided into thirteen grand divisions, called Orders. The order is the foundation of mamma- 
lian arrangement. Without adequate knowledge of these divisions, a clear understanding of the 
relationships of mammals is quite impossible. 
It is customary with technical writers to begin with the lowest forms of life, and toil upward 
toward the highest ; but it is very discouraging to the young student to find the most interesting 
forms the farthest away. Frequently the most interesting animals are never reached! For many 
reasons, it is best that the general student should study first the forms that are most important, 
and also most interesting, and thus make sure of them. We therefore begin our studies of the 
animal kingdom with the highest forms, and adopt the latest names that have come into use 
amongst zoologists. 
While the great majority of the examples cited will be North American, a few from other con- 
tinents will be introduced to complete the chain of important facts. 
THE ORDERS OF LIVING MAMMALS. 
ORDER. 
PRONUNCIATION. 
MEANING. 
EXAMPLES. 
Primates 
. . Pri'matz 
. First order .... 
. .Man ; apes and monkeys. 
Ferae, or Carnivora. . 
. .Fe're 
\ Flesh-eating 
1 Wild Beasts . 
Cats, dogs, bears, weasels. 
Pinnipedia 
. . Pin-ni-pe'dia 
. .Fin-footed .... 
. .Sea-lions, seals, walrus. 
Insectivora 
. . In-sec-tiv' o-rah 
. . Insect-eaters. . . 
. . Moles and shrews. 
Chiroptera 
. . Ki-rop'ter-ah 
. .Wing-handed. . 
. .Bats and flying-" foxes.” 
Glires, or Rodentia. . 
. . Gli'rez 
.Gnawers 
. . Hares, gophers, rats, squirrels. 
Ungulata 
. . Un-gu-la'tah 
. . Hoofed 
. . Cattle, deer, sheep, swine, tapirs. 
Cete 
. . Se'te 
. .Whales 
. . Whales, porpoises, dolphins. 
Sirenia 
. .Si-re'ne-a 
. .Sea-cows 
. . Manatee and dugong. 
Edentata 
. . E-den-ta'ta 
. .Toothless 
. . Armadillos, sloths and ant-eaters. 
Effodientia 
. . Ef-fo-de-en'shia 
. .Diggers 
. . Pangolin and aardvark. 
Marsupialia 
. .Mar-su-pi-a'li-a . . . . 
, . Pouched 
. .Opossum, kangaroo. 
Monotremata 
. .Mon-o-trem'a-ta. . . . 
. .Single duct. . . . 
. . Platypus and echidna. 
3 
