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NATURAL HISTORY. 



bones ; but all the others have only molar teeth, which do not, however, go very far back, for there are 

 none on the ascending ratnus of the lower jaw. They are not, therefore, animals which prey upon 

 their fellows, but are vegetable, insect, and probably carrion eaters. They dig and burrow, and their 

 sense of smell is acute. This is assisted by the position of the nostrils in the long muzzle, for they 

 are not at its tip, but rather underneath, so that they open downwards. In fact, the ends of the 

 bones of the nose project in front of the pre-maxillary bones. The armour is doubtless useful against 

 the attacks of their many carnivorous and reptile enemies ; it assists them in burrowing, keeps off 

 pressxire, and may protect those which live in forests against a falling bough. They are passive 

 creatures, mostly nocturnal in their habits, and their skeleton is strengthened in some parts in relation 

 to its armour and its office. 



Thus the spine of the second vertebra is tall and compressed, and reaches backwards over those of 



SKELETON OF THE ARMADILLO. 



the third and fourth vertebrae, and it coalesces with them. The bodies of these vertebrae also join more 

 or less solidly, and there are no (or very minute) spines on the last three cervical vertebrae. This gives 

 a strange appearance to the skeleton, which is increased by the length of the spine of the first vertebra 

 of the back (dorsal). In order to support the back shield, the projections from the back bones are 

 greatly developed, and two side processes stand out on either side of the spinous one. Moreover, there 

 is much fixity between the last dorsal and lumbar vertebrae, and the strong and long sacrum beneath 

 the last shield is formed by the junction of the back bones of the root of the tail with the true sacral 

 vertebrae. Finally, the transverse processes of some of the upper tail vertebrae are united to the pelvic 

 bones. There is a corresponding strengthening of the chest, and a broad flat first rib accompanies an 

 expanded condition of the upper part of the breast bone ; and this bone is jointed with bony sternal 

 ribs, which unite on the side of the chest with the ordinary ribs of the spine. 



As they are rapid burrowers, the limbs are fashioned with a view of favouring this kind of 

 life, the general skeletal peculiarities of the Edentata being more or less preserved at the same time. 

 They have a collar bone, and the blade bone is long, rather narrow, and has a tall, long spine, and a 

 kind of offshoot from the back edge. The humerus of the arm is short and robust, strongly marked 

 by ridges and depressions for the great muscles of the shoulder and chest, and the fore-arm is charac- 

 terised by the disproportionate size of its two bones. The ulna has a very long and stout elbow 

 process (olecranon) for the attachment of the mxiscles, which can force the hand strongly on to and into 

 the earth, and drag it out, and its length makes the whole bone twice as long as the radius. The 



thigh bone has a strong crest, arising from the great trochanter, 

 and extending downwards neai'ly the whole length of the bone ; 

 moreover, the great trochanter has a large process on the 

 middle of its outer edge. The bones of the leg are broad, 

 arched, and united at both ends, and the heel bone reaches 

 far back, in order to give strength to the squatting position 

 SKULL or THE ARMADILLO. taken up when the animal is burrowing. The eye is placed 



rather high in the head, is protected above by the outer edge of 



the head armour, and by some small surrounding scales. It looks as a rule outwards. The lower jaw is 

 long, and has a back angle, sometimes of some size j the cheek bone unites to the temporal bone, and 



