90 MAMMALIAN DESCENT. [Lect. IV, 



LECTURE lY. 



Edentata. 



Like tlie poucli-bearing tribes, the Edentata are fast 

 disappearing, and like tliem they are found only, or 

 almost only, in the southern regions ; in this case, the 

 greater proportion are natives, not of the eastern, but 

 the western, division of the "Notogoea" or southern 

 hemisphere. 



There, in South America, the common herbivorous 

 tribes are scarcely rejDresented at all ; a small spiny pig^ 

 the Peccary, a few deer, and an ancient form with a 

 short proboscis — the Tapir — are the largest native cattle; 

 the latter is found also in the eastern troj)ics. In the 

 South African region, two genera of Edentata still exist, 

 namely, the Pangolin [Manis) and the Aard-vark [Orycte- 

 Topiis) ; the former is still found also in India and Ceylon. 



These types, which are either toothless or have 

 imperfect teeth, and not any in the front part of 

 the upper face, teach a lesson which every Darwinian 

 must learn if he would escape from very grave mis- 

 takes ; I refer to the extreme specialisation often to be 

 seen in the low types of any Order or Class. 



