THE ANT-EATERS 1383 



In addition to these external features, there are certain points in the internal 

 anatomy of this ant-eater which demand some attention. In the first place, the 

 exceedingly-elongated skull is characterized by the zygomatic or cheek arch being 

 incomplete, and also by the circumstance that the passage above the bony palate, 

 through which the creature breathes, instead of stopping short near the middle of 

 the skull, is prolonged nearly to its hinder extremity. This is brought about by the 

 union in the middle line of descending plates from the bones known as pterygoids; 

 this feature occurring elsewhere among Mammals only in certain dolphins and one 

 genus of armadillo. In consequence of this arrangement the posterior or inner nos- 

 trils of the great ant-eater open at the back of the skull, instead of near its middle. 

 Another peculiarity of the skull is the absence of any postorbital process defining 

 the hinder border of the socket of the eye, which is consequently continuous with 

 the temporal fossa, or large open space at the side of the hinder portion of the skull. 

 Then, again, the lower jaw is very long and slender, with an extremely-short union 

 in front between its two lateral branches, and without the process which usually 

 ascends behind the socket of the eye for the attachment of the muscles of mastica- 

 tion. Like the sloths, the females of the great ant-eater have but a single pair of 

 teats on the breast. 



Although distributed over the whole of the tropical portions of 



. South and Central America, the great ant-eater is nowhere common, 

 and Habits 



and from its nocturnal habits but seldom seen. It frequents either 



the low, wet lands bordering the rivers, or swampy forests, and is strictly terrestrial 

 in its habits. Its strong claws might lead to the supposition that the creature was 

 a burrower, but this 'is not the case. It has, however, usually a regular lair, or at 

 least an habitual place of resort, generally situated among tall grass, where it spends 

 the day in slumber, lying on one side, with its head buried in the long fur of the 

 chest, the legs folded together, and the huge tail curled round the exposed side of 

 the body. Except in the case of females with young, the ant-eater is, as a rule, a 

 solitary creature. Its usual pace is a kind of trot, but when pursued it breaks into 

 an awkward, shuffling, slow gallop. The food of the great ant-eater consists exclu- 

 sively of termites and ants, together with their larvae. In order to obtain these in- 

 sects, the ant-eater tears open their nests or hillocks with the powerful claws of its 

 fore-feet. As soon as the light of day is let into their domicile, the ants or termites 

 rush to the surface in order to investigate the cause of the disturbance, and are 

 forthwith swept up by hundreds adhering to the viscid tongue of the ant-eater, 

 which is protruded and withdrawn with lightning-like rapidity. 



The breeding habits of the animal are still very imperfectly known. A single 

 young is, however, produced by the female in spring, which is carried about on the 

 back of its parent for a considerable time. The period of suckling lasts for several 

 months, and even when the young ant-eater has taken to feeding on insects, it does 

 not leave its parent until she is again pregnant. 



Usually the ant-eater is a harmless, inoffensive creature, which may be driven 

 in almost any direction so long as it is not pressed too hard. If, however, driven to 

 close quarters, it turns furiously on its assailants, whom it attacks by hugging with 

 its immensely-muscular arms. It has been asserted, on the authority of the natives, 



