-»! Fauna : Mammals 



and in the presence of hairs 

 on the upper surface of the 

 body growing between the 

 scales. In all four of the 

 African species of manis 

 the ear-hole has no conch 

 — nothing but a thick fold 

 of skin round its upper 

 edge ; and no hair grows 

 on the upper surface of the 

 body. On the other hand 

 the belly of the smallest 

 African manis (M. tricuspis) 

 is well covered with thick 

 whitish hair. The eye is 

 fairly large, at any rate 

 normal in proportionate 

 size. The tongue is longer 

 than the whole head, and 

 is of course very slender. 

 The mouth opening is quite 

 small. The food of the 

 animal in a wild state con- 

 sists entirely of ants and 

 termites, which it gathers 

 in with the viscous saliva 

 on the tongue. (In cap- 

 tivity it will eat in the same 

 way very finely chopped 

 meat or powdered biscuit.) 

 It is fond of milk, which it absorbs by the rapid protrusion 

 and withdrawal of the tongue. 



749 



292. THE WHITE OR HAIRY-BELLIED 

 MANIS (manis tricuspis) 



