238 
ON THE GEOaRAPHICAL 
the Camel of the New World, an animal indigenous to 
the Cordilleras, and which, in a domestic state, gives rise 
to numerous races, distinguished by a difference of colour, 
that have been considered as distinct species^ : then the 
Tapir of America, the prehensile-tailed Porcupine, the 
Armadillo, the Sloth, the Anteater, the Chinchilla, the 
Nasuas, which I would willingly refer to the same species ;t 
the Cavys, the American Ostrich Rhea, &c. Several other 
animals are found as far as Mexico, and even in the 
southern parts of North America ; as the Lion of America 
(Felis concolor), the Jaguar (Felis On^a), in which the 
length of the tail appears very variable in different indivi- 
duals ; the Skunks, Viverra putorius, and V. mephites,J 
&c. There exist a very few animals which are identical 
in both Americas, such as the Hare, Lepus Americanus, 
and L. Braziliensis. Finally, there are some that are re- 
presented by others in both Americas, even though belong- 
ing to different species ; such are the Deer, and several 
Dogs, the Procyons, the Didelphes, &c. It should be cited 
as a very remarkable fact, that in a region shrouded in 
^ My researches on this subject have satisfied me that we must 
reduce all the varieties of this animal to a single species, the Red 
Llama. 
t We never meet with two individuals of the genus Nasua perfectly 
alike, which prevents me applying, for the determination of the species, 
any of the characters that naturalists have assigned to the two principal 
species of this genus ; not even those drawn from the skull, the form of 
which changes with the age. It might be, perhaps, objected that these 
two species have a diiferent mode of life, an objection which I have 
often to refute by the simple observation, that many animals, when ar- 
rived at a certain age, adopt a different mode of life : the young gene- 
rally living in society, and undertaking journeys more or less distant ; 
while the old ones isolate themselves in the recesses of deep forests, or 
of mountainous regions. We may compare these habits to those of 
birds of passage, among which, it is known, that the young always se- 
parate themselves from the adults, on setting out on distant migrations. 
I beg travelling naturalists to fix their attention on this interesting 
point in the habits of animals. 
J All the pretended species of this genus that I have seen appear to 
belong to a single species, the fur of which is black, varied often by 
brown, with the white rays more or less broad, according to the indi- 
vidual, or sometimes altogether without the rays, especially in the 
young, several of which have been transmitted to us under the name of 
Mustela Leucauchen. 
