THE PANGOLINS. 



393 



subterranean palace and probably appears on the 

 surface by xJiance alone. It is said to burrow with 

 the greatest speed and run like the Mole, but is very 

 slow and awkward above ground. Most probably it 

 hunts for insects and worms and perhaps also at 

 times contents itself with tender roots. Nothing is 

 known about the details of propagation, except 

 that it is not a prolific animal. The natives believe 

 that the female carriesJier young hidden under the 

 carapace. We see how scanty the information is 

 and how much of it is yet mere conjecture; hence 

 the greater pleasure did I derive from Goering's 

 communications. ' , , 



Goering's "The Bichociego," says he, "lives not 



AftPfiunt of the only in the province of Mendoza, but 

 mh&ciego. also in San Luis. The Spaniards call 

 it Bichociego, because they believe it to be quite 

 blind; some give it the name of Juan Calado (Lace- 

 trimmed Johnny). The little animal inhabits dry, 

 sandy, stony, localities, especially such as are over- 

 grown with thorny shrubs and cacti. During the 

 day it keeps hidden in the earth; at night, however, 

 it appears above ground and runs around, and can be 

 seen under bushes on 

 moonlit nights." 



The animal is always 

 caugrht by chance only, 

 usually on such occa- 

 sions as the digging of 

 channels of irrigation 

 canals where land is to 

 be made cultivable. It 

 has sometimes also been 

 captured along with oth- 

 er Armadillos. Recently 

 a little more pains have 

 been taken to obtain 

 Bichociegos owing to 

 the frequent demand for 

 them; but it must be a 

 very difficult matter to 

 procure them, as Goer- 

 ing, who spent seven 

 months in their native 

 country, could not ob- 

 tain a specimen either 

 living or freshly killed, 



in spite of. all efforts and promises. The Bicho- 

 ciego is even now an object of wonder and admira- 

 tion to the natives. If they happen to capture one, 

 th«y- let it live as long as it can, and then preserve 

 it as a great curiosity, in the best way possible; 

 South Americans in general have a peculiar habit 

 of keeping animals that strike them as remarkable, 

 the idea of caring for them not entering their heads, 

 however. As the people do not know how to skin 

 and stuff animals, the Bichociegos one finds in their 

 possession are nothing but mummies. 



teristic of the family and is unique among mammals; 

 for the shields of the Armadillos and Bichociegos 

 bear but a remote resemblance to these peculiar 

 horny formations, which in their shape partake more 

 of the nature of the scales of a fish or a reptile than 

 of any other dermal adjunct of a mammal. 



Physiological The following may serve to charac- 

 Peculiarities of terize the Pangolins more closely: 

 the Pangolins, the body is elongated, the head 

 small, the snout is shaped like a cone, the legs are 

 short, the feet five-toed and armed with strong dig- 

 ging claws. The scales are absent on the throat, 

 the under surface of the body and the inner faces 

 of the limbs, all other portions of the body being 

 enveloped in armor. All scales are attached to tjle 

 skin at only one point and are of a rhombic shap^; 

 their edges are very sharp and they are exceedingly 

 hard and firm. Their arrangement admits of a tol- 

 erable facility of movement in all directions; the 

 scales can be moved laterally, as well as erected 

 and depressed. Between the scales and on the 

 naked portions of the body there are thin hairs, 

 which, on the under portion, are often worn away 



THE BICHOCIEGO. This queer animal was first discovered by Dr. Richard Harlan, of Philadelphia. It 



has a coat of armor on its back but the sides under the shield as well as the under surface and limbs are clothed with 

 soft, silky hair. It is essentially a burrowing animal. {Chlamydophorus iruncaius.) 



by friction. The muzzle is destitute of scales, but 

 covered with a firm, horny skin. The jaws are en- 

 tirely lacking in teeth. A broad flexor muscle, 

 which lies just below the skin, as is the case with 

 the Hedgehog, provides for the rolling up of the 

 body. The tongue is moderately long and fairly 

 extensile; salivary glands of exceedingly large pro- 

 portions furnish the viscid liquid necessary to insure 

 the adherence to the tongue of the food, probably 

 consisting chiefly of Ants and Termites. 

 Native Country These strange animals are natives of 

 of the Pan- a large part of Africa, all southern 

 golins. Asia and a few adjacent islands; 



they affect grassy or weedy spots or woodland in 

 mountains and in plains. Probably they all live 

 alone in burrows, in solitary places, like their rela- 

 tives, hidden by day, roving by night. As has been 

 observed in captive specimens, they sleep in a curled 

 up position, the head concealed under the tail. At 

 dusk they awake and begin the search for food. 

 Buttikofer's Ac- Their movements are not nearly so 

 countof the Giant slow and lazy as was formerly be- 

 Pangolin. lieved. Buttikofer says, in speaking 

 of a species, the Giant Pangolin {Manis gigantea). 



FOURTH FAMILY: Manidid^. 



The Pangolins {Manidida) constitute a family 

 quite distinct from the Ant-eaters, notwithstanding 

 the similarity of form and habits. The body of all 

 animals comprised in this group is covered on its 

 upper surface with large, shield-like, horny scales, 

 overlapping each other like shingles on a roof, or 

 rather Jike the scales on a pine-cone. This cover- 

 ing constitutes the principal distinguishing charac- 



