MANIS. 345 



the nostril, where it impinges on the rough and haired skin of the scaleless portion 

 of the face. There is also a smooth patch on the centre of the chin. The skin of 

 the nose and lips in M. pentadactyla has a well-marked hluish colour contrasting 

 with the pale colour of the scaleless parts. 



The eye is small, and is situated rather close to the ear, and the iris is generally 

 dark brown. The ear is moderately well developed, and more or less rounded in all the 

 species, and is clad with short, rather stout hairs. The palmar surface of the fore feet 

 has in its centre a few circular elevations marked by central depressions ; the skin, 

 however, in M. pentadactyla is of the same uniform pale yellow colour as the scale- 

 less portions of the body. It is unhardened by use, as these animals walk on the 

 terminal joints of the two outer toes and on the terminal halves of the claws of these 

 toes, the inner toes not touching the ground. The under surface of the hind foot 

 has a brown warty appearance, and the claws project only a short way beyond the 

 thick pad which protects the bones of the feet. It is divided into an inner portion, 

 swollen and round, and into an outer flattened portion. The whole of the plantar 

 surface reaches the ground. 



With reference to the general osteological features of the three species, the 

 numerical variations in the vertebral column are not greater than what occur in 

 many well-recognised species of mammalia. Thus in M. pentadactyla there are 

 26 cervical and trunk vertebrae, excluding the sacral ; in M. aurita 28 to 30 ; and 

 28 in J/, javanica. In the first of these there are 14 ribs ; in the second 15 to 17 

 well-developed costal elements, with a small rudimentary rib in the animal with 15, 

 and another has probably been lost ; while in M. javanica there are 14 well-formed 

 ribs, and a small terminal rib. The normal number of sacral vertebrse throughout 

 the species appears to be three, but in the adults it is extremely difficult to decide in 

 some instances between the sacral and pseudo-sacral elements ; there would appear, 

 however, to be from one to three of the caudal vertebrae that unite with those' 

 which are essentially sacral, and in such instances they become soldered to the 

 pelvis. In M. pentadactyla, if the sacrum is regarded as consisting of only three 

 vertebrae, then there are as many as 30 caudals, in Jf. aurita 27, and in M. 

 javanica 29. 



It will be observed that the greater length of the tails of M. pentadactyla and 

 of M, javanica is not solely due to the greater number of the vertebrae, as there 

 are only two or three more than in M. aurita. This circumstance is brought out 

 by comparing the respective lengths of the caudal vertebrae, as a whole, with the 

 remainder of the vertebral column. In M. pentadactyla the tail segments measure 

 23*75 inches to 19-25, the length of all the remaining vertebrae; in M. javanica 

 17*75 to 17*50; and in M. aimta 12*60 to 14. As the greater length of the caudal 

 portion in the two former cannot be accounted for by any increase in the number 

 of the vertebrae, the explanation of the length of the tails of these species is found in 

 the greater length and size of the bodies of the individual vertebrae, whereas the 

 comparative shortness of the tail of M. aurita is explained by the short and feeble 

 character of the vertebrae themselves. 



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