ORDER EDENTATA. 269 



The hair is abundant. That on the fore-arm, particu- 

 larly in the Unau, is directed forwards towards the arm, as 

 in Man and the Qrang-Outang. Such is the external con- 

 formation of the species of this genus. Their internal or^ 

 ganization, which has been attentively studied by Daubenton 

 and by our author, is not less extraordinary. The pelvis 

 is remarkably wide, and the cotyloid cavities are placed so 

 far behind, that they have no power of approximating the 

 thighs one to another. The sacrum, instead of being joined 

 by a single point only to the ossa innominata, is absolutely 

 soldered, as it were, to the tuberosity of the ischion. This 

 character is not observable in any other animal excepting 

 the Phascolomys, a species which is also equally conspicuous 

 for the slowness of its movements. The bones of the tarsus 

 are disposed in such a manner, that the foot turns upon 

 the leg like a vane upon its axis, and can only rest its ex- 

 ternal edge on the ground. The phalanges of the toes, 

 both of the fore and hind-feet, are closely articulated toge- 

 ther, and are almost without motion ; and some of them 

 are literally pasted to those that are next to them. The 

 first phalanx, in particular, is joined to the metacarpian or 

 metatarsian bone, in such a manner, that the toes appear 

 to have one phalanx less than they ought to have. In a 

 state of repose, their enormous claws are folded inwards, 

 and the upper or external part of them rests upon the 

 ground. Their levator muscles are situated in the upper 

 part of the phalanges. There are clavicles in one species, 

 but not in another. The number of the vertebrae vary. A 

 remarkable character in the Ai is, that there are nine cer- 

 vical vertebrae, while in the other mammalia there are but 

 seven. 



These animals have a stomach divided into many sacs or 



lobes. But these lobes have not upon their surface the 



folds or sheets, or the papillae which are observed in the 



Ruminantia. Moreover, although their nutriment is purely 



Vol. III. U 



