Zoological Collections. S37 



at the glenoid cavity is such as to admit of great freedom of motion. 

 Length of the base of the lower jaw one inch ; length of the angle five- 

 tenths; greatest width two and a half tenths; width of the angle three- 

 tenths. 



Teeth- Incisors, none in either jaw ; molars, eight in number, on ei- 

 ther side of the upper and lower jaws, all approximate ; disposed in se- 

 parate alveoli; the crowns of the two first only, approach to a point, and 

 thus much resemble canine teeth; the six remaining are all nearly flat on 

 the crown; their structure is simple; a cylinder of enamel, of equal 

 thickness throughout, surrounds a central pillar of bone, there being no 

 division into body and root; the lower half is hollow, the cavity repre- 

 senting an elongated cone. In the lower jaw, the teeth penetrate its 

 whole depth ; — length of the teeth, about three tenths of an inch : two 

 tenths of which are buried in the sockets — diameter, about one-tenth 

 They are somewhat flattened on the sides, and in a slight degree curved 

 externally, to be adapted to the shape of the jaw. The teeth of the in- 

 ferior maxilla are directed forwards and upwards ; those of the superior 

 maxilla are directly reversed in their direction, so that the crowns meet 

 each other obliquely ; and the posterior margin of the lower teeth, and 

 the anterior margin of the upper, present their angles to the object of 

 mastication. 



We have been presented in the subject before us with a new form : an 

 animal combining in its external configuration a mechanical arrangement 

 of parts which characterizes, respectively, the armadillo, the sloth, and 

 the mole ; constituting in themselves, individually and separately, of all 

 other quadrupeds, those which offer the most remarkable anatomical cha- 

 racters. Pursuing the investigation step by step, with the skeletons of 

 the above named animals before me, it was not until after I had com- 

 pletely finished every point of observation, that I perceived in the skull 

 alone, of the new animal, a reunion, more or less complete, of all those 

 remarkable traits that an external view of the animal had offered for con- 

 templation ; which, taken collectively, furnishes us with an example of 

 organic structure, if not unparalleled, at least not surpassed in the history 

 of animals. 



This animal is a native of Mendoza in Chili ; in the Indian language it 

 is termed c Pichiciago.' It had been obtained on the spot in a living 

 state, but it continued to live in confinement only a few days. Its habits 

 resemble those of the mole, living for the most part under ground, and is 

 reputed to carry its young beneath its scaly cloak. — Prof. Harlan- 



2. New and gigantic species of the genus Cephalopterus, of Dumeril. 

 Plate VIII. Fig. 2. 



C- Vampyrus. Char — Breadth of the body exceeding its length ; 

 mouth nearly terminal, without teeth ; a vertical fin on each side of the 

 mouth, projecting forwards ; tail unarmed. " 



• Supposed to be the same animal described by M. Lesueur, under the name, C. 

 Giorna. This description we had not seen. 



VOL. III. NO. II. OCTOBKR 1825. Y 



