32 OLD WORLD EDENTATES. [CH. I 



Tatusia, Dasypus, Xenurus, Priodon, Tolypeutes and 

 Chlamydophorus. 



Matildas, or scaly anteafcers, with really only one genus 

 Manis, though more have been allowed by some system- 

 atists. 



Orycteropodidae, or Cape anteaters, containing but a 

 single genus Orycteropus. 



Now it has been customary to associate together 

 the anteaters of both the old and the new world, sepa- 

 rating them on the one hand from the sloths and on the 

 other from Orycteropus. We thus get a group ranging 

 over South America, the greater part of the Oriental 

 region, and a large tract of the Ethiopian region, for 

 Manis is found in both of the last named regions. The 

 Manis of the old world has a strong superficial likeness to 

 the anteaters of the new world. The same long tongue 

 and well-developed salivary glands are present in both, 

 while neither of them have any teeth; correlated with 

 this likeness in structure is the fact that both feed upon 

 ants. The Australian anteater, Echidna, was on this 

 account placed by Linnaeus in the same great group 

 as that containing the Edentata ; it has in the same way 

 a long tongue and well developed salivary glands. There 

 is, however, of course no intimate connection between the 

 animals ; we have here merely a case of modification to 

 the same end, the utilising of an abundant ant or termite 

 supply. The Woodpecker and the Chamseleon show a 

 remarkably analogous modification of the alimentary 

 organs. This is really the only reason, apart perhaps 

 from a general similarity in form, which has led to the 



