1882.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GREAT ANTEATER. 287 



1. On some Points in the Anatomy of the Great Anteater 

 {Myrmecophaga jubata). By W. A. Forbes, B.A., 

 Prosector to the Society. 



[Eeceivecl February 28, 18S2.] 

 (Plate XV.) 



The literature relating to the anatomical structure of the Edentata, 

 though very considerable, is unfortunately much scattered, and with 

 many blanks as regards special points. The genus Myrmecophac/a 

 may be considered — thanks chiefly to the labours of Owen' and Pou- 

 chet''. who have elaborately described many parts of its organization — • 

 to be the best known, as regards anatomical structure, of all the 

 existing Aiiteaters. Two adult female specimens of this animal 

 having lately ^ passed through mj'^ hands in my prosectorial capacity, 

 I have had the opportunity of confirming a large part of the already 

 published accounts of its anatomy, as well as of correcting, or adding, 

 certain details, which I now lay before the Society. 



1. Alimentary Canal and Appendages. — The palate (fig. 1, p. 288) 

 is not absolutely smooth, but presents anteriorly a series of irregular 

 transverse ridges notched along their margin, best developed and nearly 

 meeting mesially anteriorly, posteriorly becoming much more oblique 

 backwards and less regular, the ridges not being opposite each other but 

 more or less alternating. In all there are about seven of these ridge.i. 

 The floor of the mouth to about 2 inches beyond the most posterior 

 opening of the submaxillary glands, the gums over the tip of the 

 lower jaw, and the lateral callous pads which are present as in Ta~ 

 mandua, are all covered with minute, retroverted, closely-set papillae. 



1 " On the Anatomy of the Great Anteater," Part T., Trans. Zool. S oc. ir. 

 pp. 117-140, pis. xsxvii.-xl. ; Part II., I.e. pp. 179-181, pis. li.-liii. 



^ M^moires sur le Grand Fourmilier: Paris, 1874. 



In addition to these, there are brief references to Myrmecophaga jnhafa in 

 Rapp's 'Edentaten' (2e Aufl., Tiibiugen, 1852), and Prof. Flower's Hunterian 

 Lectures (Med. Times and Gazette, Nov. 30, 1872, p. 591). The submaxillary 

 glands have been described by Gervais (C. E. Ixix. pp. 1110, 1111 [18(39]); 

 and the brain by the same author (" Mtmoire sur les foi-mes cerebrales pro.pres 

 aux Edeutes vivants et fossiles," Nouv. Arch. Mus. v. pp. 1-56, pis. i.-v.), and 

 by G. Pouchet ( " Memoire .sur I'encephale des Edentes," Eobin's Journal 

 de I'Aiiatomie, 1868, pp. 658-675, and 1869, pp. 1-18, &c.). 



* The first of these, from Buenos Ayres (spec, d of the List of Vertebrates), 

 wa.s presented to the Society by the Hon. L. fS. Sackville West (now H. B. M's. 

 Minister at Washington) on Sept. 7, 1877. It died Nov. 29, 1881, from severe 

 inflammation of the connective tissues lying in and aroimd the submaxillary 

 glands. 



The second (specimen a) was presented so long ago as October 4, 1867, by Dr. 

 J. A. Palin, C.M.Z.S., and, after living for more than 14 years in the Society's Gar- 

 dens, died on the 5th of February of the present jear. The only disease detected 

 in it, on po6t morfem examination, was a considerable enlargement of the thymus 

 gland, and acute inflammation of the laryngeal nnicous membrane. This second 

 specimen, though an aged animal, was by no means so large as the first, having 

 a total length of 6 ft. 1 ^ in. (from tlie tip of the nose to the end of the tail, which 

 was 2 ft. 4 in. long), as against 7 ft. 5^ in. in the other. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1882, No. XX. 20 



