OR, A TREATISE ON PILE. 15 
Ductility, Elasticity and Tenacity.— 
With 1,750 grains, one inch stretched 5 of an inch, elasticity entire. 
2,000 ee =e (73 “cc 
Qo O0 7 eee broke: 
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Button, none ; the posterior terminating in a navel resembling that of a feather, and of 
whiskers. Shaft, bright yellow and lustrous. Cortex so thin that its presence cannot 
always be detected. Interior a mass of white fibres with a central opening. Apices often 
ruptured. Very difficult to crush ; when it does, separating the fibres. 
Or ScaLes.—These tegumentary appendages belong (among reptiles) to the Saurians 
and Ophidians, and to fishes; but they are sometimes found upon the mammalia. 
Or THE PaNncouin or Manis SCALES, AND Hatr-LIKE PROCESSES THAT GROW BETWEEN 
AND BENEATH THEM.—This animal belongs to the Order Edentata. J*or a general descrip- 
tion of it see Eléméns de Zodlogie, p. 384. It is found in Asia and Africa, and a 
specimen may be seen in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 
The number of scales are as follows: Upon the head, 64; neck, 14; body, 122; tail, 
160; legs, 136=496. 
There are a few hairs, or hair-like processes, issuing from between these scales, but none 
from the scales themselves. 
Particular Description of the Scales.—F orm, nearly flat; slightly convex on the superior 
and slightly concave on the inferior surface. Outline, sub-quadrilateral; the inferior 
extremity,—that connected with the skin,—ovoidal at the angles; the superior extremity 
inclining to semi-circular. Color brown, opaque, dull. To the touch smooth, when the 
fingers are passed longitudinally; but, when passed in an opposite direction, slightly 
rugose. No ductility nor elasticity. 
Structure —Composed of two plates, an inferior and a superior one. 
The inferior one, (which is the smallest,) at its inferior extremity, is bounded by two 
straight lines, which respectively commence at the inferior angle of the sides of the scale, 
and meet at right angles. At its superior outline it is semi-circular, This superior extre- 
mity of this inferior plate is soldered to the superior one, with an opening in the form of a 
pouch. 
The superior plate, (which is the largest,) is divided by a slightly curved midrib, into 
two nearly equal triangular portions. The posterior portions of each of these triangles, 
from their inferior outlines to points opposite to the pouch, are again divided by ribs run- 
ning nearly parallel with the midrib. The lateral edges of this plate, where they corres- 
pond with those of the inferior one, are turned over and felled. Nearly the whole interior 
between these plates, is filled with muscle; and with it the midrib and ribs, which also 
are muscular, communicate; thus enabling the animal to raise its scales, and, perhaps, 
allowing it to communicate to them a slight lateral motion. 
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