EDENTATA. 165 
C. truncatus, Harl.(1) which is five or six inches in length, 
and is found in the interior of Chili, where it passes the most 
of its time under ground. 
It appears that the fossil bones of a Jatou of gigantic size, being 
ten feet long exclusive of the tail, have been found in America. See 
Cuv. Oss. Foss. V. part 1, p. 191, note. 
OrycrERopus, Geoff.(2) 
The animals of this genus were for a long time confounded with the 
Ant-Eaters on account of their using the same kind of food, having 
‘a similar head, and a tongue somewhat extensible ; but they are dis- 
tinguished from them by being furnished with grinders and flat 
nails, formed for digging and not trenchant. The structure of their 
teeth differs from that of all other quadrupeds; they are solid cy- 
linders traversed like reeds, in a longitudinal direction, with an infini- 
tude of little canals. Their stomach is simple, and muscular near 
the pylorus, their cecum small and obtuse. There is only one spe- 
cies known. 
Oryct. capensis ; Myrmecophaga capensis, Pall.; Buff. Supp. 
VI, xxxi. (The Cape Ground-Hog.) So called by the Dutch 
of that colony. It is an animal about the size of the Badger or 
larger ; stands lows; has short hair, and is of a brownish-grey. 
The tail is not so long as the body, and is covered with equally 
short hairs. It has four toes before, and five behind. Inhabits 
burrows, which it excavates with great facility. The flesh is 
eaten. 
The other ordinary Edentata have no grinders, and conse- 
quently no teeth of any description. ‘They also form two 
genera. 
Myrmecoruaaca, Lin. 
The Ant-Katers are hairy animals with a long muzzle terminated 
by a small toothless mouth, from which is protruded a filiform tongue 
. susceptible of considerable elongation, and which they insinuate into 
Ant-hills and the nests of the Termites, whence these Insects are 
withdrawn by being entangled in the viscid saliva that covers it. 
The nails of the fore feet, strong and trenchant, and varying in num- 
_ ber according to the species, serve to tear up the nests of the Ter- 
mites, and afford the means of defence. When at rest, these nails are 
(1) Its osteology, as given by M. Yarrel, (Zool. Journ. No. 12,) is closely allied 
to that of the Cabassous. Over each eye-brow there is a singular ridge. 
(2) Orycteropus, feet fitted for digging. 
