AARI) VARK 187 



'Phis group contains but one family, the Orycteropodidae, uf 

 which there is but a single genus. 



Tlie Aard Yark (earth-pig), genus Orycteropus, is characterised 

 by its heavy build, the body being covered by rather coarse and 

 not very abundant hair ; the snout is long and pig-like, with round 

 nostrils at its end ; the ears are long, erect, and pointed ; the 

 tail is very thick at lirst, so that it has been aptly described as 

 " a tapering of the body to a point." The fore-limbs are four-toed, 

 the hind five-toed. 



Fig. 107. — Aard Vark, or Cape Aiiteater. Ori/cferopus ca^cnsis. x-^^^. 



In the skull there is a complete though slender zygoma ; the 

 premaxillaries, though small, are not so rudimentary as in the 

 American Edentates. The annular tympanic is not ankylosed to 

 the surrounding bones, a character found in other low mammals. 

 Contrary to what is found in Manis, Oryctcnqms has a huge 

 lachrymal. There are thirteen dorsal and seven lumbar vertelirae. 

 The clavicle is well developed. Orycteropus is peculiar among 

 Edentates in that the ischia do not unite with the vertebral 

 column. The femur has a third trochanter. 



Xh mentioned on p. 1 02, the Aard Yark is diphyodont like normal 

 mammals. The permanent teeth consist of five molars and pre- 

 molars on each side of each jaw ; the first two of these are pre- 

 molars, and are simpler in their form than the succeeding two 

 teeth, which are partly divided by a median furrow into two 

 halves. These teeth are also peculiar in that they consist entirely 

 of vaso-dentine. They have been compared in minute structure 

 to those of the Eay Myliohates. According to Mr. Oldfield 



