EDENTATA : MONOTREMATA. 8$ 



ing five feet long, and the total length of the animal nine 

 feet. 



The Genus Orycteropus comprises the Earth-Pig of 

 South Africa, celebrated for its unique teeth. 



The Genus Myrmecophaga Ant-eaters is charac- 

 terized by a long muzzle, toothless mouth, filiform tongue 

 capable of great extension, and used to penetrate ant- 

 hills and nests of termites, whence the insects are with- 

 drawn, being entangled in the viscid saliva which covers 

 it. The body is covered with much hair, and the claws 

 of the fore feet are strong and trenchant, and suited to 

 tearing open ant-nests. These animals inhabit the warm 

 and hot parts of South America. 



The Giant Ant-eater, M. jubata, Buff., is more than 

 four feet in length, grayish-brown with an oblique black 

 band edged with white upon each shoulder. Its tongue 

 can be elongated more than two feet. Other species are 

 much smaller than this, and one is no larger than a rat. 



The Genus Hants Pangolins or Scaly Ant-eaters 

 of the Eastern hemisphere, differs from the last genus in 

 having the body, limbs, and tail clothed with large tren- 

 chant scales arranged like tiles, which they elevate when 

 they roll themselves into a ball, as they do when they 

 would ward off the attacks of an enemy. 



The Short-tailed Pangolin, M. pendactyla, Linn., of the 

 East Indies, is three or four feet in length. 



MONOTREMATA, OR ORNITHORHYNCHUS FAMILY. This 

 Family comprises animals which vary widely from all 

 other Mammals, having their organic structure in many 

 respects much like that of Birds. They have double cla- 

 vicles, and well-developed marsupial bones, Waterhouse 

 places them at the end of the Marsupialia; the males 

 have a peculiar spur on the hind feet, besides the ordi- 

 nary nails, and they have no external conch to their ears, 

 and their eyes are very small. They belong to Australia. 



