292 EXTINCT MONSTERS 



Glyptodonts seem to have been chiefly confined to the continent 

 of South America, but some species are known to have extended 

 their range as far as Mexico, and Texas into North America. A 

 good deal of confusion has arisen with regard to the classification 

 of these old-fashioned armadillos, on account of the fact that 

 isolated specimens of their tails have often been found, and these 

 cannot always be referred to the right carapaces. For example, it 

 should be pointed out here that the tail represented in Plate LI 1 1. 

 really belongs to another genus, known as Hoplophorus. 1 



In Glyptodon asper the scutes of the carapace had a beautiful 

 rosette-like sculpture, while the sheath of the tail was entirely 

 composed of a series of movable rings, ornamented with large 

 projecting tubercles. The vertebrae of the backbone are almost 

 entirely fused together into a long tube, and also are joined to 

 the under surface of the great shield, to which the ribs are 

 united. The cheek-teeth are sixteen in number, four above and 

 four below on each side. These are channelled with two broad 

 and deep grooves, which divide the surface into three distinct 

 lobes. Hence the name of the animal. 



Plate LIT. represents Glyptodon clavipes (Owen) from the Pleis- 

 tocene deposits of Buenos Ayres ; but the reader will gain a much 

 better idea of the animal by inspecting the splendid specimen of 

 Glyptodon asper in the Natural History Museum, near the centre 

 window at the East end of the Gallery of fossil mammals. 



Plate LIU. is a restoration of another species by our artist. 2 



In the Museum of the Eoyal College of Surgeons (which the 

 reader is recommended to visit) there are several most valuable 

 specimens of these extinct armadillos from South America. 



1 Greek Eoplon, armour ; phero, I bear. 



2 This plate is based on a beautiful drawing in a Spanish work, Anales del 

 Museo puMico de Buenos Aires. G. Burmeister, M.D., Phil. D. Tomo Segundo. 



