1016 MESSRS. B. C. A. WINDLE AXD F. G. PAESONS OK [DeC. 19, 



common to the two animals, such as the total absence of fabellae 

 from the gastrocnemius, the occasional presence of a fibular origin 

 for the extensor brevis digitorum pedis, and the absence of the 

 sterno-facialis (sphincter colli) part of the panniculus, which are 

 not so striking as the former two, but which, taken together, are 

 enough to make us think that there is a closer kinship between 

 the Sloths and the Pangolins than they are generally supposed to 

 possess. It would be easy to pick out points of similarity between 

 the Sloths, Ant-eaters, and Armadillos by reason of which they 

 differ from the generalized mammalian type, aud which clearly 

 point to their near relationship with one another ; it w ould also 

 be easy to indicate by means of its muscles that, although Mania 

 cannot be a very distant relation of the Bradypodidcp., it is more 

 closely allied to the Myrmecopliagidce and Dasypodidce. When we 

 come to consider the Orycteropodidce, however, we are more struck 

 with the generalized mammalian arrangement of its muscles than by 

 any special edentate characteristics ; the three points on which we 

 laid so much stress in claiming a place for the Pangohns in the 

 Edentate order are wanting in the Aard-vark. There is no rectus 

 thoracis lateralis, no femoral head to the flexor cruris lateralis, and 

 it has fabellae in its gastrocnemius just like any other mammal. 

 In addition to this the sterno-facialis, which in all other Edentates 

 is suppressed, is very sti-ougly marked and covers a part of the 

 pectorals as in Erinaceus among the lusectivora aud Baihyergus 

 among Eodentia. There are, however, a few points in which 

 the Aard-vark differs from most mammals and resembles the 

 Edentata. One of these is the presence of more than one scapular 

 head for the extensor cubiti (triceps), and another is the double 

 tibialis posticus. We have never yet seen either of these arrange- 

 ments in any other mammals but the Edentates ; and we cannot 

 help regarding this animal as a link between the Edentates and the 

 more generalized stock from which that order has diverged. We 

 have read with much interest a paper by Dr. Elliot Smith (Trans. 

 Linn. Soc, 2nd ser. Zool. vol. vii. pt. 7, p. 387) in which he says that 

 " if the brain of Orycteropus were given to an anatomist acquainted 

 with all the other variations of the mammalian type of brain, there 

 is probably only one feature which would lead him to hesitate in 

 describuig it as an exceedingly simple Ungulate brain." Changing 

 the word muscles for that of brain, this is practically our own view. 

 There are only one or two points M'hich would cause us to hesitate 

 in describing Orycteropus as a generalized type of mammal, but 

 these one or two are certainly in an edentate direction. We 

 further i-ead (ib. p. 390) that Manis has certain cerebral features 

 which point to a relationship with the American Edentate group ; 

 a statement which strongly confirms the view which we have 

 already expressed. 



Taking all ttiese facts into consideration, we think that the 

 systematists do well to retain the order of Edentata, although the 

 name is certainly a misguiding appellation. We also think that 

 it is not wise to lay too much stress on the articulations of the 



