96 Dr. Burmeister on the Species of Glyptodon. 
G. clavipes had at least thirteen or fifteen and G. tuberculatus 
seventeen or eighteen of these vertebre. 
The ribs of the Glyptodon are very slender, and broader than 
thick. Each one has a rather long head, with an articular surface 
on the two sides, adapted to the two articulations, which are 
almost united, like a 30, in the excavations of the external side > 
of the lateral processes of the spinal canal. Immediately behind 
the head they are delicate, then gradually expand and assume a 
cylindrical form. They unite with the sternum by the medium 
of strong sternocostal bones, of which there are five pairs, and 
some loose ones ; but, as the sternum is wanting, I cannot exactly 
describe this part of the skeleton. Probably it was very delicate, 
and has been broken in consequence. Neither have I seen, up 
to this day, the clavicle of this animal, which it ought to have, 
as is demonstrated by the analogy of the existing Armadillos. 
The general number of ribs of the G. spinicaudus is fourteen 
pairs, of which three pairs unite with the first, trivertebral bone 
of the vertebral canal, and eleven pairs with the second bone. 
The form of the scapula is very peculiar, as it is a very slender 
and long plate of a rhomboidal form, rather short and round in 
the anterior portion, but very long and acute posteriorly. There 
arises from the external surface, a little before the centrum, a 
crest, low at the commencement, which descends down to the 
articular cavity for the arm, to which it prolongs itself i a very 
strong, flattened, and curved process, like a pothook, which is 
the acromion. Behind this is found the rather narrow articu- 
latory cavity for the arm, a little concave and elongate, and with 
a short protuberance on the fore part of its inner side, which is 
termed the coracoid process. 
The bones of the arm and of the leg are very robust, especi- 
ally those of the latter. The humerus has the form of a 
. mashorca, a little curved inferiorly, and the two bones of the 
forearm are united in such a manner that the pronation and 
supination of the hand is impossible ; the hand appears to have 
possessed little power of rotation. The carpus comprises seven 
small bones, but wants the os unciforme of the hand of Man. The 
form of the os pisiforme is very peculiar, as it is a long and broad 
bone, of the form of a small tongue, united articularly with the 
ulna. The largest bones of the interior of the hand are the meta- 
carpals, with the exception of the thumb, which is small, and is 
prolonged downwards into a small round head. The thumb is 
destitute of phalanges, excepting one small ungual phalanx, which 
is connected with the metacarpal. The other three toes have 
two very short phalanges on each, and a very large ungual bone. 
MM. D’Alton and Huxleyhave described the hand of Glyptodon 
as possessing five digits, the first taking the fourth toe for the 
