20 A HISTORY OF 



ilieii agility, 01 their natural arms, fall a prey to every creature that 

 attacks them ; they therefore retire for safety into the darkest forests, 

 or the most desert mountains, where none of the bolder or swifter 

 animals choose to reside. 



It may well be supposed that an animal so helpless as the ant-bear 

 is, with legs too short to fit it for flight, and unprovided with teeth, to 

 gi\.. it a power of resistance, is neither numerous, nor often seen ; its 

 retreats are in the most barren and uncultivated parts of South America. 

 It is a native only of the new continent, and entirely unknown to the 

 old. It lives chiefly in the woods, and hides itself under the fallen 

 leaves. It seldom ventures from its retreat, and the industry of an 

 hour supplies it with sufficient food for several days together. Its 

 manner of procuring its prey, is one of the most singular in all natural 

 history ; as its name implies, it lives entirely upon ants and insects ; 

 these, in the countries where it is bred, are found in the greatest 

 abundance, and often build themselves hills, five or six feet high, 

 where they live in community. When this animal approaches an ant- 

 hill, it creeps slowly forward on its belly, taking every precaution to 

 keep itself concealed, till it comes within a proper distance of the 

 place where it intends to make its banquet ; there, lying closely along 

 at its length, it thrusts forth its round red tongue, which is often two 

 feet long, across the path of these busy insects, and there lets it lie 

 motionless for several minutes together. The ants of that country, 

 some of which are half an inch long, considering it as a piece of 

 flesh accidentally thrown before them, come forth and swarm upon it 

 in great numbers, but wherever they touch they stick ; for this instru- 

 ment is covered with a slimy fluid, which, like bird-lime, entangles 

 every creature that lights upon it. When, therefore, the ant-bear has 

 found a sufficient number for one morsel, it instantly draws in the 

 tongue, and devours them all in a moment ; after which it still con- 

 tinues in its position, practising the same arts until its hunger is entirely 

 appeased ; it then retires to its hiding-place once more, where it con- 

 tinues in indolent existence, till again excited by the calls of hunger. 



Such is the luxurious life of a creature, that seems of all others the 

 most helpless and deformed. It finds safety in its hiding-places from 

 its enemies, and an ample supply in some neighbouring ant-hill for all 

 its appetites. As it only tries to avoid its pursuers, it is seldom dis- 

 covered by them ; yet helpless as this animal is, when driven to an 

 extremity, though without teeth, it will fight with its claws with great 

 obstinacy. With these arms alone, it has often been found to oppose- 

 the dog, and even the jaguar. It throws itself upon its back, fastens 

 upon its enemy with all its claws, sticks with great strength and per- 

 severance, and even after killing its invader, which is sometimes the 

 case, does not quit its hold, but remains fastened upon it with vindic- 

 tive desperation. 



