CHLAMY'PHORUS (Harlan), a genus of .11fammalaf belonging to the order Edentata. It was first described by Dr. Harlan in the 'Annals of the New York Lyceum of Natural History,' vol. i., from a specimen presented to the Philadelphia Museum. It is the Pichiciago of the Indians in Mendoza (its native place), on the east of the Cordil leras, in lat. 33° 25', and long. 69° 47'. It had been obtained on the spot in a living state, but lived in confinement only a few days; The viscera and the greater portion of the skbleton had been removed before the animal came into Dr. Harlan's possession. In March 1828 the council of the Zoological Society of London placed in the hands of Mr. Yarrell a specimen of this rare and new animal, and to his dissec tion we are chiefly indebted for our knowledge of its structure. The following account is an abstract of Mr. Yarrell's paper in the 'Zoological Journal.' The form of the head presents the figure of an irregular cone, the base of which is turned towards the spine ; the cranium does not exhibit any sutures ; the cavity capacious • the frontal bone supporting two rounded processed projecting and somewhat outwards ; the space between them occupied by a substance resembling in appear ance adipose matter, from which issued a fluid like oil. From the anterior part of the base of these two rounded processes, a narrow ridge of bone extends forwards on each side converging towards the nose. The nasal bones elongated, the orifice opening downwards.
No incisor nor canine teeth in either jaw; molars cylindrical, separate, encircled with enamel, but none on the crowns : the first tooth on each side in the lower jaw, having no opponent, is the longest, the remaining seven opposed to the first seven of the upper jaw, and taking angular impressions on their surfaces by contact ; the direction and depth of the alveolar cavities of the upper jaw distinctly marked on the outside by parallel ridges; in the lower jaw the alveolar cavi ties are pierced the whole depth. The anterior portion of the lower
jaw is elongated ; the inferior edge concave the first half of its length, then convex ; the plate broad, rising at right angles with the line of the teeth; the condyloid process longer than the coronoid, the condyle itself elongated transversely. The external meatus auditorius is extended in the form of a semicircular cylindrical tube of bone, curving round the base of the zygoma, and passing forwards termi nates in an aperture immediately behind the eye. The orbits and temporal fosse united ; the zygomatic arch is slender posteriorly, but becomes much stronger towards the front, expanding downwards, and furnished with an acute descending process. The occipital foramen is of great size.
becomes narrowed posteriorly, and terminates in a concave articular surface to which the second bone of the sternum is attached. Judging from the imperfect remains of the second bone, of which the upper part only was distinguishable, it would appear that its form was oblong, the superior surface concave. The remaining portion of the sternum was too much mutilated to admit further description.
Lumbar vertebras 3, the spinout, processes short and flattened ; the last two dorsal vertebrae, as well as the lumbar, furnished with long oblique processes directed forwards, upwards, and outwards; the transverse processes of the first two lumbar vertebras considerably elongated, the last possessing a rudiment only.
The whole of the sacrum and innominata is so peculiar and unique in character, that it is scarcely possible to give any correct idea of this part without the assistance of accurate representations. The superior part of the ilium is flattened, the upper part bent to form an arched plane of bone, the concavity of which faces downwards and outwards; the crista of great length from before backwards. Tho inferior portion of the ilium is much stronger, inclining outwards, from its junction with the fulcrum to the acetabulum.