152 
Dasypid^.. — — MAMMALIA. Bradtptba!. 
Harlan of New York, Mr. Yarrell of London, and Dr. 
Hyrtle of Vienna ; and each of these distinguished natu- 
ralists hav'e published lengthened memoirs upon the 
subject. From their combined descriptions we gather 
the following particulars : — Tlie molar teeth are thirty- 
two in number, have a simple structure, and are equally 
distributed above and below. The head presents the 
figure of a cone, sharply pointed at the muzzle, and 
widening out at the occiput ; the bones of the skull do 
not display any trace of sutures in the adult cranium, 
and over the upper part of the frontal elements there 
arise two small globular osseous masses, tlie function 
of which will he immediately rendered apparent 
Scarcely any trace of an ear can he detected on the 
outer surface, this organ being represented by a patu- 
lous opening, marked by a slightly elevated margin, 
and situated immediately behind the small, black, half- 
concealed eyes. The oral opening is not large ; but 
the nose is furnished with an extended cartilaginous 
septum internally. One of the most striking peculiari- 
ties of the Pichiciago consists in the uniform hard 
dermal armature, protecting the entire length of the 
head, neck, and back (tig. 51). This coriaceous 
covering is made up of numerous square, rhomhoidal. 
Fig. 51. 
The Pichiciago (Chlamydophorus truncatiish 
or cubical plates, closely connected together by a 
tough leathery development of the epidermis; these 
plates are disposed in rows, of which there are twenty- 
four. Throughout the greater part of its extent, this 
shield is only loosely attached to the body by soft 
connective tissue; but, along the central line of the 
back, it is more firmly adherent to the capitals of the 
vertebral spinous processes, whilst, at the free part of 
the head, it is very firmly fixed to the two frontal 
osseous prominences above described. Posteriorly the 
dorsal shield terminates abruptly, imparting to the 
hinder quarters an unusu.al appearance. This part of 
the body, however, is carefully protected by five semi- 
circular rings of plates, having a structure precisely 
similar to those on the back. At the lo\\’ermost part, 
the anal shield is notched for the growth and lodg- 
ment of the tail, into which crevice this orgair is, as 
it were, lodged, and is, under ordinary circumstances, 
doubled up beneath the belly. It presents the char- 
acter of a rigid cylinder, but at the tip it is flat- 
tened out in a sj)atulate manner, to form a kind of 
paddle. At the semi-circumferential margin of the 
anal shield, and along the side of the dorso-cephalic 
covering, there is developed an extensive fringe of 
silky hairs, the under parts generally being thickly 
clothed with fur. All the feet are peiitadactylous, the 
claws of the anterior pair being remarkably long, 
slightly curved, and sharply pointed ; the several digits 
arc intimately bound together, and are so disposed that 
the claws when acting together form a kind of scoop. 
The hinder extremities are, comparatively speaking, 
small and feeble, the toes being also more widely sepa- 
rated from each other. Eespecting the habits of the 
Pichiciago very little is known, but from the statements 
of Mr. Closeberry, the original discoverer of the species, 
there is every reason to believe that its mode of living 
very nearly resembles that of our common mole. It 
dwells almost entirely under ground, its limbs at once 
showing how unfitted it is for rapid progression on the 
surface. The female is said to carry her offspring 
beneath the margins of her dorsal shield; but this 
statement requires confirmation. 
Family IV.— BRADYITD.Tl. 
Following Cuvier, some naturalists prefer to consider 
the Sloths under tlie family title of Tardlfirada, as 
indicating one of the most remarkable characteristics of 
this trihe of animals. The tardigrades then, or, in 
simpler phrase, slow-moving Edentates, are at once 
distinguished by a peculiar conformation of the extremi- 
ties, admirably fitting them for an arboreal mode of 
existence, but rendering their movements on the 
ground very awkward, for the obvious reason that they 
are unnatural. If we examine the skeleton of an 
ordinary Sloth— Plate 34, fig. 112— the first thing that 
strikes us is the unusual size and extension of the 
limbs, and especially of the anterior pair ; the latter are 
