_Manis._[110]—Skull somewhat of the form of an elongated cone, with the small end turned forwards; very smooth and free from crests and ridges. No distinction between the orbits and temporal fossæ. The zygomatic arch usually incomplete, owing to the absence of the jugal bone. No distinct lachrymal bone. Palate long and narrow. The pterygoids extend backwards as far as the tympanics, but do not meet in the middle line below. Tympanic ankylosed to the surrounding bones, and more or less bullate, but not produced into a tubular auditory meatus. Rami of mandible very slender and straight, without any angle or coronoid process. From near the anterior extremity of the upper edge a sharp, conical, tooth-like process projects upwards and outwards. No clavicles. No third trochanter to the femur. Ungual phalanges bifid at their terminations. Caudal vertebræ with very long, strong transverse processes and numerous chevron bones. Tongue long, vermiform, flattened towards the tip; its retractor or sterno-glossal muscles arising from the hinder extremity of the immensely prolonged ensiform cartilage of the sternum. Stomach with thick lining membrane and muscular walls, and a special gland near the middle of the great curvature, consisting of a mass of complex secreting follicles, the ducts of which terminate in a common orifice. No cæcum. A gall-bladder. Head small, depressed, narrow, pointed in front, with a very small mouth-opening. Eyes and pinna of ear very small. Body elongated, narrow. Tail more or less elongated, convex above, flat underneath. The whole of the upper surface of the head, the upper surface and sides of the body, the whole of the tail, and the outer sides of the extremities covered with large, overlapping, horny scales, but usually with a few stiff hairs growing between and projecting beyond them. The sides and under surface of the head, the under surface of the body, and the inner sides of the limbs without scales, but with a rather scanty covering of hair. Limbs short. In walking the dorsal surface and outer sides of the phalanges of the two outer digits of the front feet alone rest on the ground, the points of the nails turning upwards and inwards. The third toe the longest, with a powerful compressed curved claw; the second and fourth with similar but smaller claws, that of the pollex often almost rudimentary. Hind feet plantigrade, with the hallux very short, and the four other toes subequal, with moderate, curved, subcompressed nails. The reproductive organs of _Manis_ are of a totally different type from those of the families already noticed. The testes lie in the inguinal canal; and the penis is external and well developed. The uterus is truly bicornuate, the vagina not divided, and the placenta diffused and non-deciduate. All the organs and fœtal membranes are, indeed, formed very much on the plan of those of the Ungulates, without any trace of the special peculiarities obtaining in the typical American Edentates.