ORDER EDENTATA. 317 



the base, and gradually lessens to the tip, and is about 

 three inches in length ; its colour is similar to that of the 

 body. 



The length of the whole animal, from the tip of the 

 beak to that of the tail, is thirteen inches ; of the beak, an 

 inch and an half. The legs are very short, terminating in 

 a broad web, which on the fore feet extends to a consider- 

 able distance beyond the claws, but on the hind feet reaches 

 no farther than the roots of the claws. On the fore feet 

 are five claws, straight, strong, and sharp-pointed, the two 

 exterior ones are somewhat shorter than the. three middle 

 ones. On the hind feet are six claws, longer and more in- 

 clining to a curve than those on the fore feet ; the exterior 

 toe and claw are considerably shorter than the four middle 

 ones ; the interior, or sixth, is seated much higher up than 

 the rest, and resembles a strong sharp spur. The fore feet 

 are naked both above and below, but the hind feet are 

 hairy above, and naked below. The nostrils are small and 

 round, and situated about a quarter of an inch from the 

 tip of the bill, and are about the eighth of an inch distant 

 from each other. The ears, or auditory foramina, are 

 placed about an inch beyond the eyes, they appear like a 

 pair of oval holes of the eighth of an inch in diameter, 

 there being no external ear. On the upper part of the 

 head, on each side, a little beyond the beak, are situated 

 two smallish oval white spots, in the lower part of each 

 of which are imbedded the eyes, or at least the parts al- 

 lotted to the animal for some kind of vision, for from the 

 thickness of the fur, and the smallness of the organs, they 

 seem to have been but obscurely calculated for distinct 

 jpision, and are probably like those of moles, and some 

 other animals of that tribe, or, perhaps, even sub-cuta- 

 neous, the whole apparent diameter of the cavity in which 

 they are placed not exceeding the tenth of an inch. 



In the place of teeth, the cartilaginous edges of the beak, 

 Vol. III. Z 



