THE GREAT ANTEATER. 



297 



The floor of the mouth to about 2 inches beyond the most posterior 

 opening of the submaxillary glands, the gums over the tip of the lower 

 jaw, and the lateral callous pads which are present as in Tamandua, are 

 all covered with minute, retroverted, closely-set papillae. The tip of the 

 tongue is quite glabrous and globular ; but the greater part of the rest of 

 its extent, anterior to the pair of circumvallate papillae, is dorsally and 

 laterally covered with similar, but smaller, retroverted papillae, best 

 developed towards the tip of the organ, and gradually getting smaller 

 and smaller towards its base, till they are scarcely visible to the unaided 

 eye except in certain lights. There is a median glabrous line, or shallow 



Fig. 1. 



Palate of Myrmecophagajubata-, from a preparation in the Museum of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons, prepared from specimen a. 



groove running along the tongue till near its apex ; but this is ventral in 

 position. According to Owen there is a similar dorsal one ; but if so, it 

 is not very evident (1. c. p. 129). The dorsal surface, however, is slightly 

 fluted towards the apex. In front of the circumvallate papillae a slightly 

 raised median longitudinal ridge extends for some 5 inches. 



Z. S. 1882, 

 p. 288. 



