ALLEN: MAMMALS OF THE WEST INDIES. 199 



the last molar and the palatal. In ventral aspect, the lateral outline 

 of the skull is nearly straight, or slightly concave from the widest 

 portion of the zygoma to the base of the rostrum, but in the Central 

 American skulls this margin bows suddenly out at about the level of 

 the sixth tooth, and forms a convexity that ends at the level of the 

 second or third tooth. Peters (Monatsb. k. preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 

 1864, p. 180) described the nine-banded armadillo from Costa Rica 

 under the name of Dasypus fcncstratus, and pointed out the fact of its 

 shorter palate, as well as other less important cranial differences, as 

 contrasted with the typical species. In the same paper he also 

 described D. mexicanus from Mexico. These two names, however, 

 appear to be synonymous, for the Mexican animal is essentially simi- 

 lar to that of Costa Rica. Since the latter is first described, it will 

 therefore be proper to speak of the nine-banded armadillo of Mexico 

 and Middle America as Dasypus novemcinctus fenestratus Peters. 

 In this connection, it is interesting to note that four specimens from 

 Mexico in the Museum collection have but eight thoracic rings instead 

 of the nine usually found. 



As nearly as can be judged from Gray's figure of T. granadiana 

 (Hand-list of Edentata, 1873, pi. 2, p. 2) this name is probably synon- 

 ymous with D. novemcinctus, as the New Grenada specimen seems to 

 show a less swollen malar region than does his figure of mexicana. 

 The greater length of the palate in the Central American race is evi- 

 dent from the following measurements : — 



No. Locality. Greatest skull length. Greatest length of palatals. 



19.5 

 19.8 

 22.3 



18.5 

 20 



20 



17.5 

 17.5 

 15.4 

 16.5 

 16.2 



Average 98.8 16.6 



