A NATURALIST IN BRAZIL 



leaves of trees. They are said to prefer the large leaves of the 

 Imbauba, but as a matter of fact I found them constantly on other 

 trees. There is a good deal of evidence to show that the ancestors 

 of all these creatures lived more or less in the same fashion. The 

 Sloths, it is true, have a bony process in the nose (according to 

 Hilzheimer) which is found elsewhere only in the grubbing or 

 burrowing animals, such as the pig and the mole. So the primeval 

 Sloth may perhaps have thrust its nose into the ground when it 

 dug up the soil in search of insects with the formidable claws which 

 it possesses in common with the Armadillos and Anteaters. And 

 conversely, the Great Anteater may once have been an arboreal 

 animal, as the smaller Tamandua is to-day, while the very small 

 Tamandua-i moves about hanging by its claws like a Sloth. 



The foot of the Anteater is transformed into a powerful mattock ; 

 it has a projecting middle toe, armed with a sharply-curved claw. 

 With this tool the animal is able to break open the nests of termites 

 and ants, even when they consist of hardened clay. In order not to 

 blunt this sharp claw, the Tamandua walks on the outer edge of 

 its forefeet, with the toes turned inwards. When it comes to a 

 termites' nest it supports its whole weight on one forefoot, and hews 

 at the nest with the other. The insects, always on the alert, rush out 

 in order to drive off the enemy, but the Anteater wriggles its worm- 

 like tongue towards them; and when they angrily bite this tongue 

 their fate is sealed, for it is withdrawn into the tubular snout, where 

 the insects are swept off. The mouth at the end of this snout is 

 small, but it does not need to open wide for food of this kind, which 

 is masticated by the horny tongue. 



The Armadillos too have feet heavily armed with claws, which 

 they use to dig themselves in when danger threatens. At the same 

 time, the dorsal armour prevents the stones lying in the earth through 

 which the animal is burrowing from crushing it ; it is also, of course, 

 a protection against the teeth of enemies. I kept a Tatu for some 

 time, feeding it on bananas. Unfortunately I forgot that the animal 

 lives in a warm burrow; it caught cold in its cage, and died. 



I always loved watching the Sloths, which are not found in the 

 forest only, for I was able to admire them in the park beside the 

 Avenida Paulista, in Sao Paulo, and also in Santos. The park in 

 question is a relic of the virgin forest, which is traversed by foot- 

 paths. In it five Sloths had been installed, and there they flourished. 

 Sometimes I would see one hanging high in the open foliage of a 

 tree, like a yellow ball, or rather like a wasps'-nest, a resemblance 



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