110 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL 



It is well known that the remains of a gigantic species of 

 Maiiis have been discovered in the temperate regions of the 

 Old World : and we thus see that this family of animals ex- 

 isted in former ages under the same geographical divisions as 

 now, but under gigantic forms. 



Second Family, Effodientia. 



Insignificant as are the traces of the last family hitherto 

 discovered by me, proportionably numerous are the remains 

 that I possess of the next, the armadilloes. This family is 

 also now similarly abundant in species, arranged in several 

 groups, w^hich are so distinguished from each other, not mere- 

 ly in their dental system, but also in their entire internal 

 structure, that I cannot but agree with the views of those 

 later zoologists, who have raised these long-acknowledged 

 groups to the rank of genera ; which have at least a far better 

 foundation than a large proportion of the genera established 

 among the Ferae, Rodentia, and Quadrumana, but especially 

 in the Rmninantia. This generic division is still more in- 

 dispensible for many of the extinct species of this family, 

 which, in very essential points differ from those now existing; 

 while others, which I shall first examine, show remarkable 

 coincidences with them. 



The only species of the genus Dasypus (Wagl.) that occurs 

 here, is the one described by Cuvier (Recherches, vol. i. pa. 

 118) as brought over from Brazil by M. A. de St. Hilaire, 

 under the name of Tatu-verdadeiro, and which he declares to 

 be a new species, ' but for which I propose the name Das. 



* Should this opinion of Cuvier prove correct, as I confess later examina- 

 tions lead me to believe it will, then the name of Dasypus longicmidus^ 

 which the Prince of Neuwied, without any further description, has given 

 to the species of this genus observed by him, certainly must not be applied 

 to this, which is precisely distinguished from Dasypus novemcinctus by its 

 shorter tail. On the contrary, I should consider it to be the Das. octocinc- 

 tus of Linnaeus, for after examining a great number of individuals, of all 

 ages, the normal number of bands in this species seems constantly to be 

 eight. I also consider it from the description, and especially from the num- 

 ber of teeth given, to be identical with the species mentioned by Azara 

 and Rengger, as belonging to Paraguay, (Tata-hu or Tatu-noire). If these 

 suppositions be confirmed, of which I entertain little doubt, then the three 

 known species of this genus will form a very remarkable transition, in re- 

 spect both of their geographical distribution, and of their size, number of 

 bands, length of tail, &c. For the largest species {Das. novemcinctus, Lin. 

 Das. lonqicaudus, Pr. Max.), with seven molars, nine bands, a tail of the 

 same length as the body, inhabits Cayenne and the northernmost parts of 

 Brazil ; the middle-sized species {Das. octocinctus, Lin. Das. uroceras, M.), 

 with eight molars, eight bands, and a tail somewhat shorter than the body, 



