ORDER EDENTATA. 255 



selves, which appears to indicate a generic 

 difference with the Sloths. It would be very 

 interesting to have the anatomy of this singular 

 animal *. 

 The second tribe includes 



THE COMMON EDENTATA, 



with a pointed muzzle. Some have cheek-teeth. 

 There are two genera of them. 



The Tatous, or Armadillo, (Dasypus, L. t) 



are very remarkable among the Mammalia, by the 

 scaly and hard helmet composed of compartments, 

 like little pavements, which cover their head, their 

 body, and oftentimes the tail. This substance forms 

 a buckler over the forehead ; a second, very large 

 and very convex, over the shoulders ; a third, simi- 

 lar to the preceding, on the crupper, and between 

 these two last, several parallel and moveable bands, 

 which give the body the faculty of bending. The 

 tail is sometimes furnished with successive rings, 



* Buchanan (Travels in the Mysore, t. ii. p. 198,) assures us, 

 that it is a true Bear, which lives on white Ants, fruit of Sorgho, 8fc, 



The Translator has inspected the skull of the specimen described 

 by Dr. Shaw, in which the alveoli of the incisive teeth, are com- 

 plete, and the remaining teeth are perfectly ursine. According to 

 Dr. Shaw's description, the animal must have been deprived of its 

 incisive teeth during life. — Ed. 



f Tatou is their Brazilian name. They are also called Quit- 

 quincJto. The Spaniards call them Armadillo, on account of their 

 armour; the Portuguese Encouberto, for the same reason. Dasy- 

 pus (hairy feet) was one of the names of the Hare or Rabbit among 

 ihe Greeks. 



T 2 



