MAMMALIA. 47 



GENUS I. DASYPUS, Lin. Armadillo. 



Body covered with a hard shell composed of compartments 

 resembling small paving stones, which cover the body, the 

 head, and often the tail ; this substance is formed of three 

 parts, a shield upon the front, a second very large upon the 

 shoulders, a similar one upon the croup, and transverse mov- 

 able bands between the two latter. Five nails on the hind 

 foot, sometimes only four before, of which the two middle are 

 longest ; incisives and molars vary with the species. 



GENUS IT. MYRMECOPHAGA, Lin. Ant-Eaters. 



Hairy animals, with pointed muzzle entirely without teeth, 

 but provided with a large piliform tongue, which they insi- 

 nuate into ant-hills and then withdraw in order to swallow 

 the ants which their viscid saliva has caused to adhere. 

 Nails throughout ; those of the fore feet very trenchant. 



GENUS III. ORYCTEROPUS, Geoff. 



. 



This genus was for a long time confounded with the Ant- 

 Eaters, because they feed upon the same kind of food, have 

 the same form of head and an extensible tongue. They dif- 

 fer, however, in being provided with molars, and nails fit for 

 digging. The structure of their teeth is very peculiar; they 

 are cylindrical and traversed in a longitudinal direction by a 

 multitude of canals. Only one species known the Earth 

 Pig of the Cape of Good Hope. 



GENUS IV. MANIS, Lin. Pangolins. 



No teeth ; tongue very extensible ; body and tail entirely 

 covered with large trenchant scales. Defend themselves by 

 rolling into a ball. 



FAMILY III. MONOTREMATA, GEOFF. 



Animals of a singular structure, and subjects of long 

 controversies among the learned. The organization inter- 

 mediate between that of the three first classes of vertebrated 

 animals, as the following characteristics show mammae; 

 hair; a double clavicle; a spur on the hind feet of the males, 

 pierced with a canal which discharges a poisonous liquid ; no 

 external conch to the ear; no enchased teeth, nor fleshy lips; 

 eyes very small. Two genera. Inhabit New Holland. 



