THE PANGOLIN AND PHATAGIN. 



PLATE XXX. 



Class Reptilia. Order II. Sauria. Genus Manis tetra- 



dactyla and manis pentadactyla. 



THE Pangolin, which has been usually called the scaly 

 lizard, Mr. Buffon very judiciously restores to that denomina- 

 tion by which it is known in the countries where it is found. 

 The calling it a lizard, he justly observes, might be apt to 

 produce error, and occasion its being confounded with an 

 animal which it resembles only in its general form, and in its 

 being covered with scales. The lizard may be considered as 

 a reptile, produced from an egg ; the Pangolin is a quadru- 

 ped, and brought forth alive, and perfectly formed. The liz- 

 ard is all covered with the marks of scales ; the Pangolin has 

 scales neither on the throat, the breast, nor the belly. The 

 scales of the lizard seem stuck upon the body even closer 

 than those of fishes ; the scales of the Pangolin are only fixed 

 at one end, and capable of being erected, like those of the 

 porcupine, at the will of the animal. The lizard is a defence- 

 less creature ; the Pangolin can roll itself into a ball, like the 

 hedge-hog, and presents the points of its scales to the enemy, 

 which effectually defend it. 



The Pangolin, which is a native of the torrid climates of 

 the ancient continent, is, of all other animals, the best pro- 

 tected from external injury by nature. It is about three or 

 four feet long ; or, taking in the tail, from six to eight. Like 

 the lizard, it has a small head, a very long nose, a short thick 

 neck, a long body, legs very short, and a tail extremely long, 

 thick at the insertion, and terminating in a point. It has no 

 teeth, but is armed with five toes on each foot, with long 

 white claws. But what it is chiefly distinguished by, is its 

 scaly covering, which, in some measure, hides all the propor- 

 tions of the body. These scales defend the animal on all 



