THE AARD VARK 211 



body is stoutly built, and is supported by 

 muscular though stumpy legs : the feet are 

 provided with strong claws. The tail, thick 

 at the base, is cylindrical in section, and tapers 

 gradually to a point, thus resembling that of a 

 marsupial : indeed, when sitting erect on the 

 tripod formed by its hind legs and tail, this 

 anteater does resemble a clumsy caricature of a 

 kangaroo, the similitude being heightened by the 

 long face and pointed ears. The general colour 

 of the hide is brownish, tending to reddish 

 on the back, and becoming orange below : the 

 skin is sparsely covered with bristly black hair, 

 more abundant in young adult animals, though 

 the newly born aard vark is flesh-coloured 

 and quite hairless. It may here be mentioned 

 that the Cape ant-bear is readily distinguished 

 from its Ethiopian cousin by its straight facial line 

 and thick elongated nose, which contrast markedly 

 with the shelving forehead and attenuated snout 

 of the northern species. The weight of a Cape 

 ant-bear, which died in London many years ago, 

 was stated by Dr. Crisp to be about 90 Ibs. 



The aard vark is the " Earth Hog," first 

 described by Kolben in 1733. Pallas also 

 has left a description of a very young one, 

 which was preserved in the Museum of the 

 Prince of Orange in 1788. Young animals have 

 the tail relatively shorter than in the adult : 



