Buffon's Natural History. Volume 10 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &cBuffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
History
Buffon's Natural History. Volume 10 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c
Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
Natural history
Of the nine detached species, seven, namely, the elephant, rhinoceros,
hippopotamus, giraffe, camel, lion, and tiger, are found only in
the Old World; and two, viz. the bear and mole, are common to both
continents.
If we, in the same manner, enumerate the animals which are peculiar to
the New World, we shall find, that there are about fifteen different
species which may be reduced to ten genera and four detached species.
These four species are the tapir, the cabiai, the lama, and the pecari;
but there is only the tapir we can absolutely term detached; for the
pecari has varieties; and the pacos may be united to the lama, and
the Guinea hog to the cabiai. The ten genera are, 1. Eight species
of sapajous. 2. Six species of sagoins. 3. The opossums, phalangers,
tarsiers, &c. 4. The jaguars, couguars, ocelots, margais, &c. 5. Three
or four species of coatis. 6. Four or five species of mouffettes. 7.
The agouti genus, which comprehends the acouchi, the paca, the aperea,
and the tapeti. 8. That of the armadillos, which consists of seven or
eight species. 9. Two or three species of ant-eaters; and, 10thly, The
sloth, of which we are acquainted with but two species.
Now these ten genera, and four detached species, to which the fifty
species of animals peculiar to the New World may be reduced, though
they differ from those of the Old Continent, nevertheless have some
relations which seem to indicate some common affinity in their
formation, and lead us to causes of degeneration, more ancient than any
of the rest. We have already made the general remark, that all animals
of the New World were much smaller than those of the Old. This great
diminution in size, whatever maybe the cause, is a primary kind of
degeneration, which could not be made without having a great influence
on the figure of the animal, and we must not lose sight of this effect
in comparing them together.
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