164 VERTEBRATA. MAMMALIA. 



In these animals we have another interesting in- 

 stance of a remarkable form being confined to a par- 

 ticular locality ; they inhabit South America alone, 

 and seem, as it were, cut off from the other races of 

 creation, no animals of the old world resembling 

 them. There is, however, in their own country, a 

 singular little creature lately discovered, (Chlamy- 

 phorus* Truncatus,} which bears on its back, over the 

 skin and fur, a cloak of plated-mail, of a leathery 

 texture, attached only along the spine. Beneath the 

 free sides, it is said, the young are sheltered, when 

 burrowing in the earth. 



Orycteropus^ the Aard-vark. 



The Aard-vark (Earth-pig) of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, (0. Capensis,) is the nearest representative 

 of the above animals, but it has nothing answerable 

 to their shelly covering. It is a plantigrade animal, 

 as large as a badger, something like a short-legged, 

 prick-eared pig: the tongue is flat and thin, but 

 long and covered with glutinous slime as in the Ant- 

 eaters, being used for the same purpose. The struc- 

 ture of the teeth is very curious, like short pieces of 

 cane cut off, with a multitude of little pores running 

 through their length. " Slow of foot, and a bad 

 runner, it is never by any chance found abroad 

 during the daytime. On the approach of night it 

 sallies forth in search of food, and repairing to the 

 nearest ant-hill, scratches a hole in the side of it just 



* XXa^i/j, chlamys, a cloak, and Qtgu, phero, to bear, 

 to dig, and TOWS, pous, a foot. 



