ON THE LONGEVITY OF THE YEW TREE. 
543 
these (resembling the European Pipis- 
trellus) ranges through 24-^ of latitude, 
and is the most northerly species in 
America. There must be still many 
bats to be discovered in that country, 
as those of Mexico, California, and the 
whole tract of the Rocky Mountains are 
entirely unknown. 
Of the family Insectv’ora, ten species 
i were enumerated ; and it was stated 
I that North America differs more from 
Europe in this family, than in any other 
of the order Carnivora. Three of the 
European genera do not exist in North 
America, and the three genera found 
in North America do not exist in South 
America. The North American species 
of Sorex, however, closely resembles 
those of Europe. 
Of the family Marsupiata, inhabiting 
the New World, only three species 
reach into North America, the rest being 
confined to the south of the Isthmus 
of Darien. Two of these occur no 
higher than Mexico ; but the third (the 
Verginian oppossum) range to the great 
Canadian lakes on the north, and to 
Paraguay on the south. 
About forty species of the family 
Carnivora have been noticed ; and this 
family includes a greater number than 
any other which are common to both 
North America and Europe ; though 
possibly a closer acquaintance with some 
which are at present considered identi- 
cal, may enable us to discriminate be- 
tween them. The generic forms of 
North America are the same as those of 
Europe, excepting in a very few cases, 
which belong to the South American 
group. A few of the more northern 
forms also cross the Isthmus of Darien 
to the south. 
In the family Plantigrada, two, of the 
four bears of North America, are un- 
doubtedly peculiar to the New World; 
and one of these, is the most northerly 
quadruped it contains. The American 
Glutton, or Woverine, according to 
Cuvier, is identical with that of the Old 
World, Among the Digitigrada, the 
range of the Mustelee is limited south, 
wards, to the northern or middle^ dis- 
tricts of the United States. Whether 
any of the American and European 
species of this genus be really identical, 
is involved in great uncertainty. Of 
the three Otters of north America, one 
appears to be identical with that of Eu- 
rope; and another, if correctly identified 
as the Lutra Brasiliensis, has a most 
extensive range, from the Arctic Sea 
through great part of South America, — 
Eight species of the genus Canis are 
found in North America; but there is 
great difficulty in distinguishing the 
species, and in indentifying them with 
any of those of Europe. The domestic 
dog breeds with the wolf and fox, and 
their offspring is prolific. 
Eight species of the genus Felis were 
mentioned by Dr. Richardson, three 
of which, extend from South America 
into the south western territories of the 
United States, and some of the others 
are still doubtful as North American 
species. 
The nine species of Amphibia found 
in North America, are mostly common 
to the northern seas of the Old and 
New Worlds : the genus Otaria alone 
being confined to the North Pacific ; 
and even these range to the Asiatic 
coast. The specific identity of some of 
the seals is involved in very great 
doubt. 
In the order Rodentia, there have 
been between seventy and eighty spe- 
cies discovered; and here North Ame- 
rica surpasses every quarter of the 
globe in the abundance and variety of 
form which these animals assume. The 
squirrels are not yet satisfactorily de- 
termined. The marmots are numerous 
excepting in the sub-genius Spermo- 
philus. There is only one which may 
possibly be common to the New and 
Old World. There is only one of the 
restricted genus Mus, which is une- 
quivocally indigenous to North Ameri- 
ca; and these closely resemble the 
European M. sylvestris. Other spe- 
cies have been introduced from the op- 
posite side of the Atlantic. 
Mr. Bowman read a communication 
respecting the Longevity of the Yew- 
Tree ; and mentioned the result of his 
observations upon the growth of several 
young trees, by which it appeared, that 
their diameters increased, during the 
first 120 years, at the rate of at least 2 
lines, or the one-sixth of an inch per 
annum ; and that under favourable cir- 
cumstances the growth was still more 
rapid. In the church yard at Gresford, 
near Wrexham, North Wales, are eigh- 
teen yew-trees, which are stated by the 
parish register for 1/26 to have been 
planted in that year. The average of 
the diameters of these trees is 20 inches. 
