196 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



the upper jaw, and six below, with coronals provided with 

 sharp points. The head is elongated, and terminated by a 

 kind of snout ; eyes extremely small. No external ears. 

 Short limbs with five toes on all. The fore limbs are 

 stronger than the others, and are terminated by hands ex- 

 tremely large, which have the palm always turned out- 

 wards or backwards, the lower edge being trenchant, and 

 the toes (or fingers) joined as far the basis of the nails, 

 which are long, strong, and sharp. The hind-feet are more 

 slender, the toes more feeble, more separated, and provided 

 with nails of moderate size. The tail is short and but slightly 

 covered with hairs. There are six abdominal mammse. 



The Moles exhibit anatomical characters not a little re- 

 markable. Their head is extremely elongated and some- 

 what flattened above. The cervical ligament possesses 

 exceeding strength. The bones of the anterior extremities 

 are angular, and so very thick, that theirt ransverse dia- 

 meter is hardly exceeded by their length. The two bones 

 of the fore-arm are attached. The clavicles are extremely 

 strong. One very elongated bone of the carpus communi- 

 cates solidity to the under edge of the hand. The motive 

 muscles of these extremities are enormous; above all, the 

 pectoral, which are attached upon a very large sternum 

 composed of five pieces, and which, like that of bats and 

 birds, has a central ridge considerably developed. The pel- 

 vis is fact, extremely narrow. The pubes are not joined by a 

 symphysis, which fact, according to the observations of M. 

 Breton, allows the displacement of the vulvaat the period of 

 parturition, and its movement in front of the pelvis. With- 

 out this arrangement it would be impossible that the young 

 could come forth, as they never could do so by the ordi- 

 nary way, in consequence of the narrow diameter of the 

 pelvis. The stomach is membranaceous, and of an elongated 

 form. There is no caecum ; the liver has three lobes, and 

 the gall-bladder is round. 



