EDENTATA. 105 



MANIS, Lin. 



The Pangolins, or Scaly Ant-Eaters as they are called, are destitute of 

 teeth, have a very extensible tongue, and live on Ants and Termites like 

 true Ant-Eaters; but their body, limbs and tail are clothed with large tren- 

 chant scales arranged like tiles, which they elevate in rolling themselves into 

 a ball, when they wish to defend themselves from an enemy. There are 

 five toes to each foot. Their stomach is slightly divided in the middle, and 

 there is no caecum. They are confined to the eastern continent. 



The third tribe of the Edentata comprehends those animals, de- 

 signated by M. Geoffroy, under the name of 



MONOTREMATA. 



The singularities of their skeleton are very remarkable; a sort 

 of clavicle, which is common to both shoulders, being placed before 

 the ordinary clavicle, and analogous to the fourehette in birds. Fi- 

 nally, besides their five nails to each foot, the males have a spur on 

 the hinder ones, perforated by a canal which transmits the liquid 

 secreted by a gland situated on the inner surface of the thigh. It 

 is asserted that the wounds it inflicts are envenomed. These ani- 

 mals have no external conch to their ears, and their eyes are very 

 small. 



The Monotremata are only found in New Holland, and have been 

 discovered since the settlement of the English. Two genera of them 

 are known. 



ECHIDNA, Cuv. 



The elongated slender muzzle of the Spiny Ant-Eaters, terminated by a 

 small mouth, contains an extensible tongue similar to that of the Ant-Eaters 

 and Pangolins, and, like them, they feed on Ants. They have no teeth, but 

 their palate is furnished with several rows of small recurved spines. Their 

 short feet have each five very long and stout nails fitted for digging; and the 

 upper surface of the body is covered with spines like that of the Hedgehog. 

 It appears, that, when in danger, they also possess the faculty of rolling 

 themselves into a ball. There are two species. 



E. hystrix. (The Spiny Echidna.) Completely covered with large 

 spines. 



E. setosa. (The Bristly Echidna.) Is covered with hair, among which 

 the spines are half hidden. Some naturalists consider it as a mere variety 

 from age. 



ORNITHORHYNCHUS, Blumenb. PLATYPUS, Shaw. 

 The elongated, and at the same time singularly enlarged and flattened muz- 

 O 



