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Show 1'1. 71/ 111t~rti•t111 (/-b/'('1(11 it I' ' .• H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 37 Of the quadrupeds fome are· ancient, forne modern. We call thofe BOOK I. modern which were tranfported from the Canaries and Europe into ~ that country in the fixteenth century. Such are horfes, aifes, bulls, iheep, goats, hogs, dogs, and cats, which have all fuccefsfully mul-tiplied. In our fourth diifertation we {hall evince this truth in confu-tation of fomc philofophers of the age, who have endeavoured to per-fuade us that all quadrupeds degenerate in the new world. Of the ancient quadrupeds, by which we mean thofc that have from time imrnemorial been in that country, fome were common to both the continents of urope and America, fome peculiar to the new world, in common however to Mexico and other countries of North or South America, others were natives only of the kingdom of Mexico. The ancient quadrupeds common to Mexico and the old continent arc, lions, tygers, wild cats, bears, wolves, foxes, the common il:ags, and white il:ags (d), bucks, wild goats, . badgers, polecats, we.1zles, martens, fquirrels, Polatucas, rabbits, hares, otters, and rats. I am well aware that Mr. Buffon w.ill not allow a native lion, tygcr, or rabbit, · to America: but as in our diifertations we have combated this opinjon, whtch refts chiefly on the flight foundation of the imagi ned impoffibility of animals, which are peculiar to warm countries oi the old world, finding a pafiage to the new continent; it is not neceli~lry here to interrupt the courfe of our hiftory with conful'ing it. T he Miztli of the Mexic:~ns, . is certainly no other tl an the lion without hair mentioned by Pliny ( e), and totally difhnct from the African ]ion ; and the Ocelot/ is no way different from the African tyger, ac ording to the tdl:imony of I ernandez, who knew both the huter and the former. The 'Toc/Jt/i of Mexico is cxacr]y the rabbit of the old continent, and at leaft: as ancien t as the Mexican calendar, in which the figure of the rabbit was the firft fymbolical cha- (rT) Tl,r white flag, whether it is ofrhe f:1me or n different fpecics fi'Om the other ftag, is unquellion ably common to both continents. It was known to the Greeks and Romans. The Mexicans called it king of the Stags. Mr. ll uffon is delirous of pcrfu adin,t; us thnt the white colour of flags is the ct:cet of th eir being· in captivity; but us in the mountains of New Spain, the white flag is ,fou nd , which was never made captive by man, ft~ch an idea can no longer be enrerta inerl. (r) Pliny, in lib. viii. cnp. 1fl. di1lingui01e1 the t1ro fpe cies of linus, wirh and witltOitr hair, and nfcertains the number of each fpecics which Pompey prcfcntcJ at the Roman fpec· tack i. · raCl:er I |