540 The American Naturalist. [June, 
ON THE GENUS CHLAMYDOPHORUS. 
BY DANIEL D. SLADE. 
ces Chlamydophoridz of the group Loricata in the order of the 
Edentata comprises two species: C. truncatus and C. retusus. 
Chlamydophoride—Dorsal disk divided into a dorsal and a 
pelvic shield; pelvic shield agglutinated to the pelvis ; feet 
strong; toes united; claws large. C. truncatus—Dorsal shield 
only attached by the middle of the back, which is covered with 
hair on the sides. C. retwsus—Dorsal shield attached to the 
skin of the back to the edges. Both are extremely rare, and 
present very singular osteological modifications. The recent 
arrival of a mounted skeleton of the Pichiciego, C. truncatus, at 
the Museum of Comparative Zoology, in Cambridge, has induced 
me to bring together the few facts which constitute our present 
knowledge of these interesting Edentates. It is now about sixty- 
five years since the first description of C. truncatus was given by 
Dr. Harlan, of Philadelphia, and published in the New York © 
Lyceum of Natural History. In 1828 the result of the investi- 
gations of Mr. Yarrell upon a second specimen received iñ 
England was published in the London Zoological Journal. But 
strange to say, neither he nor Dr. Harlan had recognized the bony- 
shield and its relation to the pelvis, which constitutes its unique — 
character among living mammals,—an oversight which maybe 
explained by the anxiety to preserve intact the skin with its coat : 
of mail, to accomplish which it was thought necessary to sevet = 
the bony processes by which the shield is connected with the : 
pelvis. In 1855 a full descriptive monograph upon the C. ea 
catus was published by Prof. Hyrtl, of Vienna, in which full justice 
was done to its anatomy. In 1857 a short publication on tE 
structure of the pelvis of the’ C. truncatus was made by Dr. J.B 
Gray, of England; and in 1870 an interesting paper was read bade 
Mr. Edward Atkinson, “On Some Points of Osteology of the - 
Pichiciego,” before the British Association, at Liverpool. 19 1880 - 
