484 



ZOOLOGY 



SECT. 



grows abundantly an alga, the presence of which gives a greenish 

 tinge to the fur. 



The ordinary Ant-eaters (Myrmecophagidce) have a greatly elong- 

 ated snout, with the mouth as a small aperture at its extremity, 

 small eyes, and the auditory pinna sometimes small, sometimes well 

 developed. There are five digits in the fore-foot, of which the 

 third has always a very large curved and pointed claw, rendering 

 the manus an efficient digging organ. The toes of the hind-foot, 

 four or five in number, are sub-equal, and provided with moderate- 

 sized claws. In walking, the weight of the body rests on the 

 dorsal surfaces of the second, third, and fourth digits of the manus 

 and on a thick callous pad on the extremity of the fifth, and, in the 

 pes, on the entire plantar surface. The tail is always very long, 

 and is sometimes prehensile. The body is covered with long hair. 

 In the Two-toed Ant-eater (Cycloturus) the muzzle is short ; there 

 are four toes in the manus, of which the second and third only have 

 claws,- that of the third being the longer ; the pes has four sub-equal 

 clawed toes, forming a hook not unlike the foot of the Sloths ; the 

 tail is prehensile. 



In the Armadillos (Dasypodidce, Fig. 1125) the head is com- 

 paratively short, broad, and depressed. The number of complete 



FIG. 1125. Tatu Armadillo (Dasypus sexcinctus). (After Vogt and Specht.) 



digits of the fore-foot varies from three to five ; these are pro- 

 vided with powerful claws, so as to form a very efficient digging 

 organ. The hind-foot always has five digits with smaller claws. 

 The tail is usually well developed. The most striking external 

 feature of the Armadillos is the presence of an armour of bony 

 dermal plates ; this usually consists of a scapular shield of closely- 

 united plates covering the anterior part of the body, followed by a 

 series of transverse bands separated from one another by hairy 

 skin, and a posterior pelvic shield. In the genus Tolypeutes these 

 bands are movable, so that the animal is enabled to roll itself up 



