EDENTATA. 143 



of the skeleton, partly the sloths, and partly the ant-eaters. It is twelve 

 feet long, and six or seven high. The other, the Megalonyx, lb. p. 

 160, is rather smaller, and the toes are the only parts of it that are well 

 known, but they strongly resemble those of the preceding. 

 The second tribe comprehends the 



EDENTATA ORDINARIA, 

 Or the Ordinary Edentata, with a pointed muzzle. Individuals amongst 

 them still have molars. They form two genera. 



Dasypus, Lin. 



The Armadillos, or Tatous,* are very remarkable among all the Mam- 

 malia, by the scaly and hard shell, formed of compartments resembling 

 little paving-stones, which covers their head and body, and frequently 

 their tail. This substance forms a shield over the forehead, anotlier very 

 large and convex over the shoulders, a third on the croup, similar to the 

 second, and between the two latter, several parallel and moveable bands, 

 which allow the body to bend. The tail is at one time furnished with 

 successive rings, and at another, like the legs, merely with several tuber- 

 cles. These animals have large ears, and sometimes four, and at others 

 five great nails before, but always five behind. The muzzle is pointed, 

 the grinders are cylindrical, seven or eight in number throughout, separ- 

 ated from each other, and without enamel on the inside. The tongue is 

 smooth, and but slightly extensible, and there are a few scattered hairs 

 between their scales, or on those parts of the body not covered by the 

 shell. They dig for themselves burrows, and live partly on vegetables, 

 and partly on insects and dead bodies ; their stomach is simple, and there 

 is no caecum. They all belong to the hot, or at least to the temperate 

 parts of America. 



They may be divided into subgenera according to the structure of their 

 fore feet and the number of their teeth. Most of them have only four 

 toes to the anterior feet, the two middle ones of Avhich are the longest. 

 In this number some 



Cachicamus, Cuv. 



Cachicames have only seven teeth on each side, and in each jaw. 

 The muzzle is pointed; the tail long, and encircled with bony rings; 

 such is 



Dasypis novemeinctus, L. ; Caehichame, Buff. X, xxx\'ii; Tatou 

 a longue queue, Id. Supp. Ill, Iviii; Tatuete, Schreb. Ixxiii; Tatu- 

 peba, Margr. (The Nine-banded, or Black Armadillo). With 

 nine, sometimes eight intermediate bands, generally blackish ; the 

 body fifteen inches in length, and the tail the same. 



Das. 7-cinctus; Schreb. LXXII; Tatou mulct, Azzar. (The 



* Tatou is their Brazilian name. The Spaniards called them Armadillo, from 

 their armour; the Portuguese, Encubfrlo, for the same reason. They are also called 

 Quirqnincho. Dasypus (hairy feet) was one of the Grecian appellatives of the hare 

 or rabbit. 



