Description of the Chlamyphorus truncatus. 239 



External ear, consists of a circular, somewhat patulous 

 opening, directly posterior to the eye, surrounded with an 

 elevated margin ; and communicating with a bony canal, to 

 be more fully described hereafter. Eye, minute, totally 

 black ; and, like the ear, nearly hidden by long silky hair. 

 Mouth, the rictus small. Nose, the extremity of the snout is 

 furnished with an enlarged cartilage, as in the hog ; the ante- 

 rior nares opening downwards, at the inferior border. 



The whole surface of the body covered with fine silk-like 

 hair, longer and finer than that of the mole, but not so 

 thick set. The anterior of the chest is large, full, and strong; 

 the anterior extremities, short, clumsy, and powerful ; the hair 

 is continued for some distance on the palm — the phalanges of 

 the hand united ; five powerful nails rising gradual!}' one 

 above the other ; the external shortest and broadest ; the 

 whole so arranged as to form a sharp cutting instrument, 

 somewhat scooped ; very convenient for progression under 

 ground ; and such as must very much impede motion on the 

 surface. Hind legs weak and short — feet, long and narrow ; 

 the sole resembles considerably the human foot, having a well 

 defined heel, which rests flat upon the ground, and being arch- 

 ed in the middle ; toes separate, nails flattened horizontally. 



Skull. At first view, the bones of the cranium and face 

 would appear to constitute one solid case, the remnants of 

 sutures are indistinctly visible in some parts only. The cavity 

 of the cranium is capacious ; the greatest breadth, which is 

 from ear to ear, is one inch ; greatest depth five tenths ; length 

 of the cavity, seven tenths. One of the most remarkable pe- 

 culiarities of this skull, consists in the two processes of bone, 

 above alluded to, which project obliquely, forward, upward, 

 and outward ; from the os frontis, anterior to the cavity of the 

 cranium, and directly above the malar bone ; giving to the 

 front of the skull an aspect totally unique ; these prominences 

 are hollow, communicating with the frontal sinuses, and must 

 contribute in a great measure to enlarge the organ of smell ; 



