By mammalia are meant, all those animals having warm blood, a double heart, that is, one with two auricles and two ventricles, and bringing forth their young alive and suckling them. Being, with a few exceptions, four footed animals, they are frequently called quadrupeds. Naturalists have divided these into a number of distinct orders, of which only five are found in this state.

These are 1st, Marsupiata, or pouched animals. One species, only, belonging to this order, is found in the state, viz. the opossum. 2d, Carnivora, or flesh eaters. Of these we have five species of bats; the mole and shrew mole; six species of shrews; the black bear; the raccoon; wolverine; skunk; fisher; weasel, or black cat, called also Pennant's martin; the pine martin, or American sable; the small and the brown weasel; the New York ermine, or ermine weasel; the mink, or minx otter; the common otter; the dog, about thirty varieties, five of which are native; the common wolf, two varieties, the grey, and the black; the panther; the northern, or Canada lynx; the wild cat, or bay lynx; the seal; the hooded seal; and perhaps, the walrus.

3d, Rodentia, or gnawers. Among these are the grey fox; the red, striped, and flying squirrel; the woodchuck, or Maryland marmot; the deer mouse, or Labrador rat; the beaver; the mus quash, or muskrat; the porcupine; the Norway, or brown rat; two species of black rat; the common mouse; the jumping mouse; six species of meadow mice; the grey rabbit; and the northern, or prairie hare.

4th, Ungulata: animals whose toes are covered with a horny case, or hoof. Of these, we have the hog; the horse; the ass; the ox; the goat, the sheep; the American or fallow deer; the moose; the stag, and the reindeer.

5th, Cetacea, or the whale tribe. The only species of this order, known to exist in the waters of the state, are, the right whale; the sperm whale; the beaked whale, or rorqual; the broad nosed whale; the social whale, or black whale-fish, called also the howling whale, and bottle head; the common porpoise; the grampus, or thrasher, also called the blackfish whale; and the sea porpoise.

Fossil Mammalia. Of these, but three species, it is believed, have been found, viz, 1st the fossil elephant, of which but a single tooth has been discovered.

2d, The American elephant, of which several teeth have been found in Monroe county.

3d, The mastodon, frequently, but improperly, called mammoth. Remains of this animal, and indeed skeletons nearly entire have been discovered in some 15 or 20 localities in the state, in Orange, Ulster, Monroe, Suffolk, Livingston, Chautauque, Albany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, and Niagara counties,

Class II.

Aves-Birds.

Six orders of birds are found in the state, viz. 1st, Accipitres, birds of prey, including eagles, hawks, vultures, and owls.

2d, Passeres, birds of passage. These include most of those

birds with which we are familiar, and whose departure for a more southern clime in autumn, renders winter more cheerless, as their return in spring, makes the approaching summer more joyous and delightful.

3d, Gallina, the cock tribe, including not only our domesticated fowls, but the wild turkey, grouse, prairie hen, &c.

4th, Gralla, waders.

This includes all those long legged birds which obtain their subsistence on the borders of streams; the plover, crane, heron, poke, &c.

5th, Lobipedes, lobefooted birds; the coot, dipper, &c.

6th, Natatores, swimmers. This includes loons, gulls, gannets, wild ducks and geese, &c.

The following catalogue embraces all the birds, of these different orders, known to exist in the state.

There are but three orders of reptiles found in the state, viz. 1st, Chelonia. The turtle tribe. Among the animals belonging to this order are the green turtle, which, though a native of warm climates, occasionally makes its appearance in the waters of New York bay, and Long Island sound; the leather turtle, a gigantic species; the soft shell turtle found in the Mohawk, and in the lakes; the snapping turtle; the salt water terrapin, or mud turtle; the smooth terrapin, which resembles the preceding in its appearance and habits; the painted tortoise; the spotted tortoise or speckled turtle; the wood or fresh water terrapin; the red bellied terrapin; Muhlenburg's tortoise; the geographic, and the pseudo-geographic tortoise, both distinguished by the geometric lines upon their shells; the mud tortoise, found only in the southern counties; the musk tortoise, also called mud turtle, and mud terrapin; the common box, or checkered, tortoise, also called box turtle; and Blanding's box tortɔise.

2d, Sauria. The lizard tribe. There are but two species of this tribe, known to exist in this state, viz. the blue tailed skink or lizard, called also the striped lizard, found in the southern counties; and the brown swift, frequenting the woods, in every part of the state. 3d, Ophidia. The serpent tribe. Most of these are harmless, only two species being venomous.

Of the harmless species, we have the common black snake, from three to six feet long; the pilot black snake, or racer, found in the Highlands and Fishkill mountains; the chain snake, also called racer; the milk or chicken snake, also called house snake, checkered adder, &c.; the striped snake; the ring snake, black and red, small; the grass or green snake; the brown water snake, or water adder-this snake has its tail tipped with horn, and is frequently regarded with dread, but without cause; the striped water, green water, or water garter snake; the yellow bellied snake; the small brown snake: the ribbon snake; the red snake, very small, and found under stones and logs; the hog nosed snake, called also deaf adder, spreading adder, &c

The two venomous species are, the copper head, called also red adder, dumb rattlesnake, red viper, &c.; and the northern rattlesnake. The popular belief that the latter add a new rattle every year is erroneous. Instances have been known where there were forty-four of these fibulæ or rattles on the tail of a single snake, and that not of a very large size. They are found abundantly, in the rocky and unsettled portions of the state. The deer and the hog destroy them rapidly the latter eating them.

Class IV. Amphibia.

Animals living both on the land, and in the water. There are but four families of amphibia, in the state.

1st, Ranide. The frog tribe. The following are all the species of this family in the state: The common bull frog; the large northern bull frog, found in lakes George and Champlain, and their tributaries; the spring frog, the kind most usually eaten; the marsh or pickerel frog, used for bait, and called also, from its spots, tiger, and leopard frog; the shad frog, which makes its appearance in the early spring; the wood frog, a very nimble animal; the hermit spadefoct, a singular animal, between a frog and a toad; the common American toad, a harmless and useful animal; Pickering's hylodes, a very small toad; the peeper or cricket frog, called in Savannah, the Savannah cricket; the northern, or common tree toad; and the squirrel tree toad.

2d, Salamandrida. The salamander tribe. These are usually, though incorrectly, called lizards. Among them are the yellow bellied salamander; the violet colored, the red backed, the painted, the salmon colored, the blotched, the long tailed, the granulated, the striped back, the red, the scarlet, and the blue spotted salamander.

3d, Sirenida. The triton tribe. Of these we have the tiger triton, with a tongue like a fish; the common spotted; the dusky, and the grey triton.

4th, Amphiumide. The proteus tribe. The banded proteus, or great water lizard, a very singular animal, having the body of a lizard, and the gills of a fish; and the Alleghany hell-bender, another curious amphibious animal, very voracious, and from 12 to 24 inches in length, are the only species of this family in New York.

Class V. Fishes.

The fishes, belonging to the state, are very numerous.

Fishes are divided into two sub-classes, BONY and CARTILAGINOUS. The first sub-class has six orders, viz.

1st, Pectinibranchi, having gills arranged regularly, like the teeth of a comb. This order embraces many of our common fish, both in fresh and salt water. Those best known are the perch, bass, bullhead, sheepshead, porgee, pilot fish, mullet, black fish or tautaug, cunner, sucker, mackerel, &c. &c. In all the fishes belonging to this order the rays of the fin are bony. The same arrangement of the gills occurs in the three succeeding orders.

2d, Abdominal, those having belly fins and ventrals. This order includes the shad, herring, salmon, trout, catfish, pipe fish, dace, shiner, carp, pike, pickerel, minnow, &c.

This, and the four succeeding orders, have soft rayed fins.

3d, Jugular, having shoulder fins, and ventrals attached to the bones of the shoulder. It includes the cod, haddock, hake, halibut, flatfish, flounder, turbot, sole, lumpfish, &c.

4th, Apodal, without fins, This order includes the eel and conger.

5th, Lophobranchi, those having tufted gills. This order is small, comprising two species of pipe fish and the Hudson river sea horse.

6th, Plectognathi, those having the gills concealed under the