322 NATURAL HISTORY. 



propriated the name of founniller, or ant-eater, to dk- 

 tinguish him from the tamanoir and tamandua. lie 

 is still much smaller than the tamandua, beinjj not 



O 



above six or seven inches long from the extremities of 

 the snout to the tail : his head is two inches long : 

 the snout is not near so long as that of the tamanoir, 

 or the tamandua : his tail is seven inches long, but is 

 bent and is bare at the end : his tongue is narrow, 

 long, and flat : his neck is almost bare, the head is 

 large in proportion to the body, his eyes placed low, 

 at a little distance from the corners of the mouth, 

 his ears are small, and hidden by the hair : his legs 

 are but three inches high, his fore feet have no more 

 than two claws, of which the exterior is much longer 

 than the interior : his hind-feet have four claws. He 

 feels smooth, his colour is shining, diversified with red 

 and yellow : his feet are not made to walk, but to 

 climb up, and to take hold of branches of trees, on 

 which he hangs himself by the extremity of the tail. 



These three animals, so different in the size and 

 proportions of the body, have, nevertheless, many 

 things in common, with regard to confirmation and 

 their natural instinct. All three feed upon ants, and 

 suck honey and other liquid and viscous substances : 

 they gather crumbs of bread and small pieces of meat 

 with great dexterity : they are easily tamed and do- 

 mesticated : they can subsist a long tinre without 

 food : they do not swallow all the liquor which they 

 keep in their mouth, one part of it issues out of their 

 nostrils : they commonly sleep in the day-time, and 

 change their station in the night : they are so slow, 

 that a man may overtake them easily whilst running 

 in open ground. The savages eat their flesh, which 

 has a disagreeable tastu. 



