408 INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY. 



fests, in the solitudes frequented by the North American 

 hunters. Professor Owen has, however, proved from historic 

 and legendary evidence, the former existence of a species of 



Fig. 310. BEAVER. 



Beaver (Castor Europceus) in the British Islands; besides 

 the still more conclusive proof afforded by the remains of that 

 animal associated with those of other denizens of the forest, 

 the Wild Boar, the Deer, and the Wolf.* 



ORDER EDENTATA. TOOTHLESS ANIMALS. 



A few of the animals belonging to the present order are 

 destitute of teeth. In this respect they resemble the Ant-eater 

 of South America, whose long cylindrical tongue, covered 

 with glutinous saliva, furnishes the means of entrapping its 

 insect prey. But with few exceptions the Edentata cannot 

 he described as toothless, the true characteristic is the absence 

 of teeth from the front part of the jaw, where in the preceding 

 group they were so fully developed. 



The present order is composed entirely of foreign species 

 and has been divided into three groups, one represented by the 

 Ant-eater, a second by the Armadillo (Fig. 311), and the 

 third by the Sloth (Fig. 312). 



The Armadillos (Dasypus) are peculiar to the New World 

 no animals encased in a similar bony covering are found 



* History of British Fossil Mammalia and Birds. 





