these, and thus take one step in comparative anatomy, for now he would be able to distinguish a horse from an ox, merely by inspecting a single bone.

It is plain, from this example, that by the constant examination of the bones of different classes, genera, and species of animals, the observer might attain to great perfection in this art, so that even without comparison, he would be able to decide in an instant, whether a given bone belonged to any living genera of animals, or not, and by a closer care and comparison, to point out those differences which distinguish the osteology of one species from that of another.

Are the species supposed to be extinct, varieties of living species? This question has already been noticed, but we would be more particular on a point of so much importance in geology. Of the 150 fossil species, about ninety are said to be extinct; that is, they are not known to exist in the living state, at the present time. Among these is the mastodon, or mammoth, the bones of which have been found in many places in this country. This is an example of an extinct species. It is not found alive in any part of the world, nor does it belong to any species of animals known to exist. If such an animal was still living, even among the most barbarous tribes, there can be little doubt, but some information concerning it, would have been given, at least to one among those individuals, who, within the last few years, have explored most of the before unknown regions, in nearly every part of the world. That the whole race of mastodons are extinct, therefore, there can be no doubt. Nor can there be any question that this animal was a distinct species from the elephant, which it most resembled. This is proved by the size and form of its bones, and especially by its tusks and grinders, many of which have been compared with those of the elephant now living, and the specific differences pointed

out.

It has been supposed by some naturalists, that more or less of the unknown fossil species might still exist in parts of the globe which have not yet been explored; but although it may be possible that some of the smaller of these animals may still be living, there is little probability that any of the larger quadrupeds, or perhaps amphibious animals, will any where be found.

"If," says Baron Cuvier, "we examine what species of quadrupeds have recently been found, and in what circumstances they have been discovered, we shall see that there is but little hope of ever finding those that we have only seen as fossils. Islands of moderate extent, situated at a distance from extensive continents, have very few quadrupeds, and these always of small size. When they have large ones, it is because they have been brought from elsewhere. Bouganville, and Cook found only dogs and hogs on the South Sea Islands, and the largest species of the West Indies, was the Agouti, (a species of the Hare.) In fact, only large territories, such as Asia, Africa, the two Americas, and New Holland, have large quadrupeds, and generally, species peculiar to themselves."

If there remained any extensive countries to discover, we might hope to find new species, among which some might be be found, more or less resembling those of which the bowels of the earth have preserved us relics; but it is sufficient to cast a glance over the map of the world, and see the numerous directions in which navigators have ploughed the ocean, to judge that there cannot be any undiscovered large tract of country, still remaining.

The ancients were acquainted with nearly all the animals now known, except such as have been discovered in America and New Holland. The Greeks were acquainted with the elephant, and the double and single horned rhinoceros, and both these animals were common at Rome. Heliogabalus exhibited the hippopotamus, and the giraffe or cameleopard; and the two species of camel were known to the Romans in the time of Julius Cæsar. The buffalo, the wild ox, the ox without horns, and the little ox, no larger than a goat, the sheep with the great tail, and the great sheep of India, were all known to the ancients, for they have left descriptions of them.

The Romans exhibited lions, panthers, and tigers, by the hundred; they also showed hyenas, and even the crocodile of the Nile. Even the zebra also, which is found only in Southern Africa, graced their shows, and they were well acquainted with the most remarkable species of the ape tribe.

These facts show, that the ancients were acquainted with all the animals of any size or consequence, in the old world, and that naturalists, in later times, although they have reduced zoology to a science, and have describ

ed many smaller animals, which were probably unknown to the Greeks and Romans, have still failed to discover any quadrupeds of considerable size, with the exception of those of America and New Holland.

It is quite improbable, therefore, that any of the larger quadrupeds or amphibious animals, now considered extinct, are still any where in existence; and since it has been shown that they are chiefly distinct species, and not varieties of those now known, there is no doubt but these entire races have been destroyed by some violent catastrophe.

When, and by what means did these races perish? At what period of the world these extinct species perished, and whose bones are found in many parts of the earth, and by what means a destruction so universal was occasioned, are important questions in geology.

From the comparative ages of the formations in which their bones are found, it would appear that a great proportion of the large quadrupeds were destroyed at the same time, their remains being found contiguous to each other, and in strata, or diluvial deposites apparently of the same age. The most probable cause of this general destruction was that universal deluge, the marks of which we have seen, still remain in all parts of the earth. It is true, that no certain proof of this can be adduced, but such a hypothesis will account for most of the phenomena observed with respect to these remains, and which are unaccountable by any other supposition. See Deluge.

It is proper, however, to state here, that there exists one example of the extinction of a species in modern times, and this in a gradual manner, or without the intervention of any general catastrophe. This is the Dodo, a large bird, figured and described by many former naturalists. It appears that during the early voyages of European navigators to the East Indies, the Dodo existed in various places, and especially on the island of Mauritius. Linnæus described it under the genus Didus. Brooks (Nat. Hist. London, 1783,) describes it as a large bird, with short legs, great black eyes, large head covered with a membrane resembling a hood, or cowl; bill bluish white, of great length, sharp and hooked at the end; body covered with feathers much like those of the ostrich; legs yellow, with four strong toes. It is a simple bird, swal

lows stones, and is easily taken. Its flesh is good and wholesome, and three or four are enough to dine one hundred sailors. Vol. ii. p. 66.

Cuvier (Animal Kingdom,) says that the species Didus ineptus, a description of which was first drawn up by the Dutch navigators, has completely disappeared, nothing remaining of it at the present day, but a foot in the British Museum, and a head in the Asmolean Museum at Oxford. This, it is believed, is the only instance in which any species known to naturalists has disappeared.

PARTICULAR FOSSILS.

It is incompatible with the design of this work, to give a classification as those animals whose remains have been discovered and described by different authors. A mere enumeration of their species and varieties, including the shells, would indeed fill a volume much larger than this. We shall, therefore, select such as are most interesting and instructive only, without reference to scientific arrangement.

QUADRUPEDS.

Order Pachydermata, or thick skinned. This is the first order of fossil quadrupeds, examined by Cuvier. It contains thirteen genera of non-ruminant, hoofed animals, viz. Elephant, Mastodon, Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Tapir, Hog, Horse, Daman, Pecaris, Phacocheres, Anoplotherium, Palæotherium, and Elasmotherium.

Genus Elephant. Of this genus there are three distinct species, two of which, the Indian and the African, still exist, the third having been found only in the fossil

state.

1. The Indian elephant is found on both sides of the Ganges, and in Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and other Indian islands. This species has an oblong skull, concave front, small ears, with grinding teeth, marked by ribands, or plate lines, which are waved.

2. The African species is found at the Cape of Good

Hope, Senegal, and Guinea, It has a rounded skull, large ears, and grinders, with lozenge-shaped lines on their

crowns.

3. Fossil or primeval elephant (Elephas primigenius.) This is the mammoth of the Russians. It has an oblong skull, concave front, very long bony sockets for its tusks; lower jaw bone obtuse, grinders parallel, and marked with nearly parallel, and little waved ribands on the crown.

The bones of the last species are found in the fossil state only, the species being extinct.

The fossil elephant more nearly resembled the Indian than the African species, but differed from both in the form of its grinders, the great size of its tusks, and especially in the projection of its tusk sockets, (see fig. 50.) The peculiarity last mentioned, must have very much modified the figure and organization of the proboscis, and given to this elephant a physiognomy, differing much more from the other species than might be inferred from the resemblance of the other bones. Its size was about that of the Indian elephant, viz. from ten to thirteen, or even sixteen feet in height.

In all animals of the same species, and ages, the teeth are precisely alike, in form and number, and therefore whenever we find merely a similarity, and not an identity in this respect, we may know that the species are different, though the genera may be the same. the jaw also differs with those of the teeth.

Fig. 49.

The form of

The annexed cuts show the difference between the grinders of the living, and the fossil elephant. That on the left hand, fig. 49, represents the under jaw of the liv