VI] 



E DENT A TA. 



69 



Among the Edentata, the Sloths have a quite rudi- 

 mentary tail, consisting of from 6 to 10 depressed vertebrae 

 without chevron bones. 



In the allied Megatherium the tail was greatly developed, 

 with long processes and large chevron bones, as is the 

 case with nearly all the Entomophagous Edentates, but 

 mostly so in the Pangolins {Mams), one species of which 

 (M. longicauda) has 46 tail vertebras, the highest number 

 known in any Mammal. Cyclothurus has a prehensile tail of 

 40 vertebrae. The little Chlamydophorus has a rather short 

 tail of 15 vertebrae, remarkable for being expanded, de- 

 pressed and spatulate towards the end, the transverse pro- 

 cesses actually increasing in size instead of gradually 

 diminishing, as is almost universally the case. 



The chevron bones are usually much developed. They 

 are Y-shaped, having long, simple, compressed spines in 

 Orycteropus ; V-shaped in Manis and most Armadillos ; but 



FlG. 30. —Anterior surface of third caudal vertebra of Great Armadillo (Priodotites 

 gigas), h. s spinous process ; m mctapophysis ; az anterior zygapophysis ; t trans- 

 verse process ; h chevron bone with diverging processes. 



in Prwdontes, they have wide, diverging, lateral processes, 

 instead of a median spine. They are attached rather to 

 the vertebra in front than to that behind them. 



