THE EDENTATA, OR ANIMALS POOR IN TEETH. Ill 



three and four toes, the Ant-eaters and Armadilloes 

 mostly five on the front limbs ; some are burrowers, 

 some climbers, some walk upon the soles of their 

 feet, others on the outer sides of their feet; the 

 Sloths and Ant-bears have hairy coverings, whereas 

 the Armadilloes and Scaly Ant-eaters are covered 

 by an armour of bone, horn, or scales. The 

 armadilloes and ant-eaters live on worms and 

 insects, the sloths are decided plant-eaters. 



Even from a superficial consideration like this, 

 it is evident and a careful study of the question 

 only corroborates the remark that the living Eden- 

 tata stand in a wholly different relation among one 

 another from that of the members of other orders 

 of animals, with the exception, perhaps, of the Mar- 

 supials and Semi-apes. The certain something by 

 which they are connected, but which our system 

 of arrangement cannot specify in a few brief or 

 clear words, could not be definitely stated unless 

 we were acquainted with the early history of the 

 group. 



Unfortunately, we do not know their early 

 history. Even the geographical distribution of 

 the few existing species points to a very remote 

 period. Were we to assume that the ancestors of 

 the Asiatic and African Armadilloes, the African 



