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 incurvated: 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 
