EDENTATA. 305 



II. PLACENTALIA. 



I. Adecicluata. 

 Order 3. EDENTATA* (BRUTA). 



iritli uic(nii[>l<'1<> di ,,1/iiun, I'mndhj trillt numerous grinder* 

 roafx, <m<l xr/-<//c/, /',/</ or curve / claws an the extremities. 



This group which includes but few genera is characterised by the 

 relatively low grade of development of all the systems of organs and 

 especially by the incomplete dentition, teeth being in exceptional 

 cases altogether wanting. Except in the case of a single Dasypod 

 the incisors are always absent (lig. <>Sii). When canine teeth are 

 present they are small, blunt, and conical. The grinders als > are 

 weak and of simple structure, being without roots and enamel. 

 Many (Vermilinguia and Da-sypoda) arc insectivorous, others 

 ]><>'/<f) phytophagous. They are all 

 sluggish, .stupid animals, with small 

 brain without convolutions ; they 

 climb or dig holes, and at the 

 present time only inhabit the 

 southern zones. Except the 

 African Orycteropus and the genus 

 Jfi.t-nis, which lives in Africa and 

 Asia, they are all confined to South 

 America ^ IG- ^ 8- Skull of 



Fam. Vermilinguia (Ant-caters). With very elongated, pointed snout, narrow 

 mouth, from which the thin, vermiform tongue can be protruded to a great 

 distance. The jaw-; are weak. Teeth are altogether absent, except in On/ctr- 

 rnjins, which possesses numerous grinders formed of longitudinal hollow fibres 

 and scarcely of the hardness of bone. The legs are short, strong, and adapted 

 fur digging ; they are used for scraping up the nests of Ants and Termites. They 

 extend their long viscous tongue into the ant-heaps thus broken into : the 

 insects bite firmly hold of it, and by the rapid retraction of the tongue become 

 the prey of the Ant-eater. MijTineoopliarja jnlmtu L. ; M. tctnulni^i/ln L.. 

 (tamandna Desm.). dtilm-ft/lti I... South America. Mania. Pangolin ; M. in/ic- 

 rura Erxl., West coast of Africa: M. In-iu-ln/iint Erxl. and juntnica Desm.. 

 both found in the East Indies. Oryut<-r<>inix c(/jii'n.i, ; .t Geoffr., Aardvark of 

 South Africa. 



Fam. Dasypoda (Armadillos). The body is covered with bony plates which 



* Th. IVjll, .\rti"li> ' Kdeutat i," in Todd's " ( 'yclopaxlia of Anatomy," vol. ii. 

 1836. 



\V. v. Raiiii. An"itomi<clie Untersachungen iiber die Edentatcn." Tiibingen. 

 1852. 



VOL. ii. 20 



