PICHICIEGO. 
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PICHICIEGO. 
( Ch lamyphorus truncatus ) 
The Pichiciego — so called from the Indian word pichi , meaning small, and the Spanish, 
ciego , blind, — is a native of the pi’o vince of Mendoza, Chili, where it inhabits the wooded 
country at the base of the Andes. Dr. Harlan, who established the genus in 1825, says, 
that “ taken collectively, it furnishes us with an example of oiganic structure, if not unparal- 
leled, at least not surpassed in the history of animals.” Dr. Buckland regarded it as “ one 
of the nearest approximations to the Megatherium, particularly in regard to its coat of mail, 
and in the adaptation of the animal for digging but he w T as mistaken as to the true char- 
acters of the great fossil. The Pichiciego, although scarcely six inches long, is formed on a 
plan of the utmost strength and solidity. It has a tesselated carapace, like the Armadillo, 
which is, however, connected with the back of the animal only by a ridge of muscle along the 
spine, and with the skull only by two bony prominences. This shield dips down abruptly 
over the haunches, so that the creature looks as if its body had been cut squarely off behind, 
whence its specific name, truncatus. The whole surface of the body, even under the shield, 
is covered with long silk -like hair, of a delicate straw color. The tail curls firmly under the 
belly, and its extremity is shaped like a paddle. The head is pointed ; the eyes are very mi- 
nute ; and the molars number 16 in each jaw. The anterior extremities are short, thick, and 
powerful ; l he hand, furnished with five nails, constituting one of the most efficient instruments 
for shoveling the dirt which can be imagined The hind-legs are comparatively weak, the 
feet being long and plantigrade, with small, flattened nails. The ribs are very thick, and 
capable of resisting great pressure. The animal lives, like the mole, under ground, feeds upon 
worms, and is not nocturnal. On these accounts it is very hard of capture ; only six specimens 
being known in Museums, three of which are in the United States, and three in Europe. 
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