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across the body and give the necessary flexibility to this singu- 

 lar dermoskeleton. In most species this flexibility is so great 

 that the animal can roll itself up like a hedgehog. The tail is 

 likewise mostly covered with bony scutes. The spinous pro- 

 cesses of the second cervical and of all the dorsal vertebrae are 

 specially developed to carry the dermal shield. The sternum 

 and first rib are expanded, and sternal ribs are present. 



The Armadillos are confined entirely to America, ranging 

 from Mexico to Patagonia. In this country, also, have been 

 found the remains of the gigantic armour-plated animals allied 

 to the Armadillos, which will be subsequently described under 

 the name of Glyptodon. Amongst the best-known species of 

 Armadillo are the Peba (Dasypus Peba), the Poyou (D. sex- 

 cinctus), the Tatouay (D. Tatouay), the Pichiy (D. minutus\ 

 the Peludo (D. villosus), and the Great Armadillo (Priodontes 

 gigas). A somewhat aberrant form is the Chlamyphorus, or 

 Chlamydophorus, of Chili, the total length of which is only 

 about six inches. 



The remaining members of the Edentata are the various 

 Ant-eaters ; but these are so different from one another in 

 their characters that they form three distinct families, also dis- 

 tinguished by their geographical distribution. 



a. Myrmecophagidcz. This family is exclusively confined to 

 South America, as are the two preceding, and it contains only 

 the Hairy or true Ant-eaters. These curious animals feed 

 chiefly upon Ants and Termites, which they catch with their 

 long sticky tongues. The jaws are wholly destitute of teeth ; 

 the body is covered with hair ; there is a long tail ; and the 

 feet are armed with long and strong, curved digging-claws. The 

 toes are united by skin up to the bases of the claws, as in the 

 Sloths ; the ungual phalanges are articulated in the same way ; 

 and the palms of the hands are similarly turned inwards, their 

 sides carrying a callous pad. 



The best-known species of this family is the Great Ant-eater 

 (Myrmecophaga jubata)* This singular animal attains a length 

 of over four feet, and has an extremely long and bushy tail. 

 The jaws are produced to form a long and slender snout, 

 which is entirely enclosed in the skin, till just at its extremity, 

 where there is an aperture for the protrusion of the thread-like 

 tongue. A bird -like character is the horny gizzard -like 

 stomach. The anterior feet have four, and the posterior feet 

 five toes, all armed with strong curved claws, which, in the 

 case of the fore-feet, when not used in digging, are bent in- 

 wards, so that the animal walks on the sides of the feet ; 

 whereas the soles of the hind-feet touch the ground. The 



