of the Chlamz/phorus truncatus, 545 



accompanied with such observations as have occurred to me during 

 the preparation of this small but very interesting quadruped. 



The novelty as well as extreme rarity of this animal, probably 

 the only one in Europe, made it a matter of importance that no 

 part of so valuable a specimen should be neglected, and it was 

 therefore determined so to remove the skin and its investing coat 

 of mail, that as perfect a skeleton as circumstances would admit, 

 might be afterwards set up, in addition to the preserved skin. 

 In this part of the undertaking I was essentially assisted by Mr. 

 Leadbeater, to whom the outer covering was afterwards con- 

 veyed for mounting, and it is now deposited in the Society's 

 museum. 



The excellent and detailed account written by Dr. Harlan,* 

 leaves me but little to add upon such parts of the Chlamyphorus 

 as the specimen examined by that gentleman, though mutilated, 

 enabled him to supply ; and I shall therefore endeavour to be 

 the more particular in the account of so much of the structure, 

 as the less mutilated example belonging to the Society affords 

 me an opportunity of describing ; premising however, that in 

 the present instance also, the abdomen and thorax had been 

 opened throughout their whole length, and the viscera from both 

 cavities entirely removed. 



The external covering was first detached from each of the 

 legs, and the nails as well the phalanges of the toes allowed to 

 remain adhering to the skin ; in the figure of the skeleton, there- 

 fore, the feet are represented covered by the natural integu- 

 ment. This mode was preferred, rather than assume the deline- 

 ation of bones, the forms of which could be but imperfectly 

 ascertained. 



When separating the skin from the muscles of the back, the 

 fibres (described by Dr. Harlan) by which the outer coat was 

 attached in the line of the vertebrae, were found to be adherent 

 to the muscles immediately investing the spinous processes, and 

 each of them probably affords a nidus for vessels nourishing the 

 external covering ; but these attachments did not extend below 



* See Zoological Journal, Vol. II. page 154, and plate VI. 

 Vol. III. 2 m 



