NATURAL HISTORY. 139 



" Then as nede is, they weren nothing idel ; 

 Gnawing, and fast the armurers also, 

 Like file and hammer, pricking to and fro." CHAUCER. 



420. Wliy do Indians ascertain the presence of armadillos in 

 their burrows by observing the movements of musquitoes ? 



Because musquitoes enter the holes of armadillos for the purpose 

 of sucking their blood. When, therefore, the Indians see that a 

 number of musquitoes come out of a hole, they know that it 

 is inhabited. 



421. As it often takes a considerable time to dig an armadillo out of his hole, it 

 would be a long and laborious business to attack each hole indiscriminately without 

 knowing whether the animal were there or not. To prevent disappointment the 

 Indians carefully examine the mouth of the hole, and put a short stick down it. 

 Now, if on introducing the stick a number of musquitoes come out, the Indians know 

 to a certainty that the armadillo is there ; whenever there are no musquitoes in the 

 hole, there is no armadillo. The Indian having satisfied himself that the armadillo 

 is there by the musquitoes which come out, he immediately cuts a long and slender 

 stick, and introduces it into the hole ; he carefully observes the line the stick takes, 

 and then sinks a pit in the sand to catch the end of it ; this done, he puts it farther 

 into the hole and digs another pit, and so on, till at last he comes up with the 

 armadillo, which has been making itself a passage in the sand till it had exhausted 

 all its strength through pure exertion. I have been sometimes (says Mr. Westerton) 

 three-quarters of a day in digging out one armadillo, and obliged to sink half-a-dozen 

 pits, seven feet deep, before I got up to it. The Indians and negroes are very fond 

 of the flesh, but I consider it strong and rank. 



422. Why has the American ant-eater such a long snout and 

 protrusive tongue? 



Because, like the armadillo, it devours ants, but has not the 

 power of burrowing like that animal. The long tongue, which is 

 covered with a viscid fluid, therefore enables the ant-eater to 

 capture the ants before they have time to run into the ground, after 

 being surprised. 



The way in which the ant-cater proceeds is to approach the 

 aut-hill, and with its large hooked claws to destroy a portion of it. 

 By this partial spoliation of the building thousands of ants are 

 exposed, as they run to and fro in a state of alarm. Then the 

 long tongue, which is capable of being thrown out some eighteen 

 inches, goes rapidly to work, being projected about twice in a 

 second, and each time drawing in many dozens of ants. 



