184 BROAD-TAILED MANIS. 



the house of a merchant at Tranquebar, having 

 been discovered in' the cavity of a wall. When 

 pursued, it rolled itself up in such a manner as to 

 leave only the back and tail visible. It was with 

 great difficulty destroyed. It had five toes on 

 the fore feet, and four on the hind: the scales 

 were of the shape of a muscle; the belly quite 

 smooth; the exterior scales ended in a sharp 

 point, somewhat incurvatcd: the tail was very 

 broad, decreasing to a point: the whole length of 

 the animal was a German ell and five eighths : the 

 tail half an ell and a span broad in the broadest 

 part. 



Of animals inhabiting regions so remote,, it is 

 impossible to obtain more than a partial intelli- 

 gence as to the exact distinction of species, sex, 

 and variety: we must, therefore, be content to 

 remain in doubt whether the above-described ani- 

 mal, as well that mentioned in the Asiatic Re- 

 searches, should be considered as distinct from 

 the species already known or not. 



In reality, however, these differences do not 

 seem sufficient to constitute a specific distinction; 

 and are, probably, owing to the differences of age 

 and sex. In the British Museum are specimens of 

 different sizes, which shew these gradations. In 

 one the scales, all over the animal, are so regu- 

 larly and completely truncated at the extremity, 

 as to exhibit the appearance of so many hexa- 

 gons. In another they are remarkably broad 

 and rounded ; and, in a third, which is a very 



