3S2 



CLASSIFICATION OF VERTEBRATES. 



em hemisphere, but few species straying north of the tropic of 

 cancer. In times past they had a greater range ; for while the 

 centre even then was in the south, a few species occurred as 

 far north as southern Europe, and to latitude 46° in the new 

 world. The American forms differ from those of the old world 

 in the existence of articular processes, besides the normal z)ga' 

 pophyses on the presacral vertebrae. These have therefore 

 been called Xenarthra in contradistinction to the Xomarthra 

 of the eastern hemisphere. To the Xomarthra belong the 

 sub-orders Fodientia and Squamata ; the other sub-orders are 

 xenarthrous. ■ 



Sub-Order i. Fodiextia. 



Body covered with sparse, bristle-like hairs, five prismatic molars in 

 each jaw ; femur with a third trochanter, toes four in front, five behind ; 

 placenta zonular. Only the single family. Orycteropodid/e, containing the 

 aardvark, Or_\ cteropns capensis, of South Africa and a fossil species from 

 the miocene of the island of Samos. The aardvark lives a burrowing life, 

 feeding upon ants and other insects. It is about as large as a pig. 



Fig. 359. Pangolin, Minis longicaudata, from Monteiro. 



Sub-Oper 2. Squamata. 



Body covered with overlapping horny scales and scattered hairs ; jaws 

 toothless ; tongue long, vermiform ; feet five-toed ; placenta non-deciduate, 

 diffuse. Contains the single family -Mantd.e. the scaly ant-eaters or pango- 

 lins of Asia and .Africa. Only genus Manis, which also occur fossil in the 

 pleistocene of Asia. .AH the species are arboreal and insectivorous ; and 

 have a somewhat reptilian appearance on account of the scaly body and 

 long tail. 



