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is no external ear : the rudiments of it may indeed be faintly traced 

 in some parts surrounding the meatus externus ; but these are level 

 with the surrounding skin. Below there is a hard low ridge, or ra- 

 ther thickening of the integument, and on the opposite side of the 

 opening, a small raised tubercle, which maybe considered as vestiges 

 of the tragus and antitragus; but beyond these obscure indications 

 there is nothing conformable to the character of an auricle. 



" The toes of the fore feet are five in number, and are armed with 

 enormous claws or nails, of which the internal one rises so high on 

 the foot that its extremity is parallel with the origin of the second : 

 this last and the fourth are equal ; the length of their nails about 1^^ 

 inch : the nail of the middle one is the longest of all, being about 

 I4- inch in length : the length of the outer one is nearly 1 inch. 

 The superior aspect of the nail presents a surface of some thick- 

 ness, rounded off at the edges ; the under surface is concave, and 

 the edge reduced to a mere line, except towards the point where 

 the lamirKs separate. The lateral surfaces of these nails are per- 

 fectly flat, so as to adapt them for accurate apposition to each 

 other; and the toes being also short and flattened at their sides, it 

 is to be concluded that the whole are closely approximated when 

 the animal works in the ground, and that the foot is thus formed 

 into a broad and powerful spathe. 



" The character of the hind foot is essentially different : the toes 

 are less developed, and the nails very short, and comparatively feeble. 

 On the under surface the lamincE of the nails are separated to such 

 an extent, that a deep o\a\ Jbssa is formed between them. The 

 plant of this foot protrudes so much that it is almost globular, in 

 in consequence of which the short nails do not reach near the 

 ground. 



" The dental formulary is that of Ratelus Capensis. The teeth 

 are fewer than in any other genus of the same tribe, as might be 

 expected from the abruptness of the head anterior to the eyes, and 

 the shortness of the mouth. The four middle incisors of the lower 

 jaw are the smallest and most feeble : the two external ones of 

 this range and the four middle ones of the upper jaw are somewhat 

 larger and stronger. In this last the two outer incisors differ essen- 

 tially from all the others, and partake of the character of canines. 

 They are at least three times as large as the adjoining ones, strong, 

 round, and curved inwards. The true canines are powerful teeth : 

 those of the lower jaw, when the mouth is shut, are imbedded in a 

 space between the upper external incisor and canine ; the lower 

 ones approximate closeljf to the external incisors. The front molar 

 of the lower jaw is very small ; the others gradually increase in 

 size to the last, which is long, has two points, and a tuberculated 

 surface behind. The great carnivorous tooth of the upper jaw has 

 a tubercle or heel projecting inwards : the breadth of the posterior 

 tooth of this jaw exceeds its length ; so that in these characters it 

 approaches the Miistelida. 



" The colour of the animal is black with the exception of the 

 back and upper parts of the head and neck, although a few black 

 hairs thinly scattered along the middle of the back give a faint gray 



