Ant- Eaters. 47 



round the pan in which the food is contained in a 

 most extraordinary manner. Don Felix d'Azara, 

 who wrote what is still probably the best account 

 of this animal and its habits, says : " It seems 

 almost incredible that so robust and powerful an 

 animal can procure sufficient sustenance from ants 

 alone ; but this circumstance has nothing strange 

 in it for those who are acquainted with the tropical 

 parts of America, and who have seen the enormous 

 multitudes of these insects which swarm in all 

 parts of the country to that degree that their hills 

 often almost touch one another for miles together." 

 The ant-eater is described as being an extremely 

 stupid slow-moving animal, by no means given to 

 attacking its neighbours, but when hard pressed it 

 is said to sit up on its hind quarters like a bear and 

 defend itself with its powerful claws. Apropos of 

 this habit we have heard the following story of an 

 ant-eater at the Zoo, and, though we cannot vouch 

 for its scientific accuracy, it has a moral, and will, 

 we think, bear repetition. A man one of the 

 class so well known to, and hated by, the keepers, 

 whose chief interest in visiting the menagerie 

 appears to be to torment the unfortunate animals 

 standing by the ant-eater's cage was heard to 

 remark that this was the sort of animal he liked, as 

 it could not bite. He then proceeded to poke it 

 with his new silk umbrella, on which the ant-eater 

 retaliated by quietly taking hold of that weapon 

 with its claws, with the result that the unfortunate 

 owner was left in possession of the frame, while the 



