EDENTATA. 113 



pended from them. It is remarked of some which were in a state 

 of captivity, that they assumed, during sleep, &quot;a position of per 

 fect ease and safety, on the fork of a tree,&quot; the head being sup 

 ported between the arms and chest, and the face buried in the 

 long wool which covers those parts, and thus protected during 

 sleep, from the myriads of insects which would otherwise assail it. 



The animals of the other genus, the Unau, or Choloepus didacty- 

 lus, the two-fingered sloth, have essentially the sa-me singular 

 conformation and habits as the three-fingered sloth, and are with 

 those of the other genus, found among the tropical forests of South 

 America, 



II. EDENTATA PROPER. MYRMECOPHAGADAE, ANT-EATERS. 

 Myrmecophaga, (Gr. fttyurjZ, murmex, an ant, qo^ w, phago, I eat.) 



The Ant-eaters are distinguished by being entirely without 

 teeth, and also by their hairy covering. The latter peculiarity 

 separates them from the Pangolins, (Manis,) or Scaly Ant-eaters, 

 of Asia and Africa, which animals, in other respects, they closely 

 resemble. In this family, the jaws are produced into a very long 

 and slender muzzle, which has a mouth of very diminished size. 

 (See Chart.) The phalanges, or small joints of the toes (particu 

 larly the last,) which bear the claws, are so formed as to allow 

 them to be bent inwards only as in the Sloths ; and to this end, 

 have very powerful ligaments, which keep them in a state of re 

 pose, bent in along the sole of the foot, and do not allow the hand 

 to be opened entirely, but only half extended, as seen in gouty or 

 rheumatic people. (Plate VI. -fig. 5.) The toes are of unequal 

 size, and vary in number, in different species ; as in the Sloths, 

 they are united closely together as far as the claws, and are not 

 capable of separate or individual motion ; but this disability is 

 more than compensated by the increased strength which it pro 

 duces. The claws are all large and powerful, especially that of 

 the middle toe, which is enormous. In walking, these animals 

 tread upon the outer edge of the foot, which is provided with a 

 large callous pad for that purpose ; whilst their toes being bent 

 ih wards, along the palms, the sharp claws are preserved from 

 being injured by the friction of the hard ground. 



The Ant-eaters are remarkable for their very long and round 

 ed tongues. With these, they take the ants which are their prin 

 cipal food. On approaching an ant-hill, the animal scratches it 

 up with his claws, and then protrudes his slender tongue, which 

 has the appearance of an exceedingly long tape worm. The 

 tongue is covered with a glutinous saliva; it is nearly twice the 

 length of the whole head and snout together, and when not ex 

 tended, is kept doubled up in the mouth, with the point directed 



