Edentata. MAMMALIA. Edentata. 
Xenurus. 
present, they are like the grinders. 'J'he face is elon- 
gate ; the mouth mostly small. The body is armed 
with scales, spines, or rigid hairs. The limbs are 
short and strong ; the hinder ones the longest. The 
stomach is simple; the malar bone simple, or want- 
ing. 'J'he I'amily ManididcB is not found iii America. 
'I'he next is 
Family— DAS YP0D1D.^E. 
'J’he dorsal disks are closely attached to the back 
of the animal. The pelvic shield is free from the 
pelvis. 'J’he feet are strong; the hind-toes free; 
claws, large. 'I'he tail is elongate. 
'I’atusia. 
'f'his genus has five to eight centi-al rings; four to 
five toes. It has no cutting-teeth, and has eight 
grinders on each side. 
PEBA, OR TATOUHOU (Tatusia Plate 17, 
fig. 50. — This is native in Guiana and Brazil, about 
thirty iimhes in length. It is a quiet, harmless 
creature, formed for burrowing, and inhabiting the 
great open plains of the country. In common with 
its relatives, it has a curious faculty of rolling itself 
into a ball, nearly concealing its limbs and head. 
'J’heir food is partly animal and partly vegetable. 
j\Ir. Darwin alludes to their habit of digging with 
surprising rapidity, “■ nearly getting out of sight before 
one can dismount.” 'J’his species is found, also, in 
Central America, where it is called the Texan Arma- 
dillo. It is esteemed a luxury in this region. 'I’liree 
other species are' known to South America, one 
about the size of a Bat. 
Prionodos. 
'J’his genus has the three or four front rings of the 
scapular shield deeply divided ; free when young. 
'I'he central rings are numerous. It is plantigrade. 
'The teeth are IMt. small; the intermaxillary tooth- 
less. One species is known — the 'J’atou (P. gigas). 
Habitat, Paraguay and Brazil. 
Dasyi’us. 
'J'he head is broad, covered with large plates. A 
series of small shields are under the eyes. 'The 
frontal jilate is large and broad. Central rings, six 
to eight in number. 'J’he teeth are the first 
upper in the intermaxillary. 'I’he Dasypus sex- 
cinctus, and a new species, D. vellerosus, are all that 
belong to this group. Both are from Brazil and 
J^araguay. 
EurilRACTUS. 
'I’he head is conical, covered with a shield of many 
j)olygonal plates, and with a tuft of hair under the 
eyes. A. narrow, strong band of plates is on the 
neck. 'J’he dorsal disk is very hairy. 'J’he toes are 
5-5. 'J’he claws are acute and triangular ; the front 
one the largest. 'The teeth are f-f ; moderate in size. 
'The Peciiy (E. minutus), and Peludo (111. villosa), 
are youth American. 
Head is elongate. 'J’he scapular and pelvic shields 
are convex. 'I’he central rings, ten or eleven in 
number. 'I’oes, 5-5; teeth, f-f; no ilitermaxillary 
teeth. 'Two species are known, viz., unicinctus and 
hispidus. Both are from Brazil. 
Family— 'J’OLYPEU'J’ID iE. 
In this family the dorsal disk is only united to the 
body by the centre of the back, free from the hairy 
skin on the sides. 'The scapular and pelvic shields 
are large, convex, and separated by three free central 
rings. 'The feet are weak ; the front with elongated 
and unequal claws, the tips of which are placed upon 
the ground when the animal walks. 'The hind-feet 
are club-shajied, with flat, ovate nails ; the palms 
and soles are covered with plates. 'The tail is short. 
'I’he skull is attached to the frontal shield by two or 
more bony prominences. 'The animals have the 
power to bend the body into a complete sphere. 
• 'Tolypeutes. 
'I’he head in this genus has a flat frontal shield, the 
hinder edge being prominent. 'The ears are granular. 
'The tail is conical, the base broadly expanded. 'I’here 
are four toes before and five behind ; the hind-feet are 
small; the toes indistinct, united. 'Teeth are large. 
The under side of the body is covereil with long- 
bristly hairs. 'I’he males are rather longer in shape 
than the females. 'The genital organs of the males 
are very large. These animals are very active. 'I’he 
native Brazilians call them 'Tatu bola. Geoffroy, in 
Gompt. liecord, 1847, uses the term Apar as the 
generic name. Oheloniscus is another synonym. 
APAR [Tohjpexites tricinctus). — This is Dasypus 
tricinctus of Linnaeus; D. apar of Desm.; 'I’atusia 
apar of Lesson ; and Apar of Buffon. It inhabits 
Bolivia and near Buenos Ayres. 'The frontal shield is 
fiat and broad, and the hinder margin regularly arched. 
'I’he skull has a bony prominence oyer each orbit for 
the attachment of the shield. 
Tolypeutes cornutus, called Mataco, has four front 
claws, the middle one very strong. 'This is other- 
wise similar to the first; its habitat is the same. 
A specimen of this species was kejit in the Zoologi- 
cal Society’s Gardens, where its habits were observed. 
“ It slept rolled up, with its head downwards.” 
Dr. Gray adds here the family GlypxtodonUdce. 
AVe have previously treated of the extinct forms 
under the appropriate head. Gray states the matter 
in these terms, viz. : “ Glyptodontidm — Dorsal shield 
entire, not revolute, immovably fixed to the upper 
part of the very large pelvis. Genera: (1) Glypto- 
don, Owen; (2) Panocanthus, Turin.; (3) IIoplo- 
phorus, Lund. (Schistopleurum, Rodot.)’' 
Family— GHLAMYDOPIIOB lDAi. 
'I’he dorsal disks are divided into two parts be- 
hind, forming an elongated dorsal and short pelvic 
