174 



THE COATIMONDA. 



This animal bears some resemblance to the racoon, 

 though the neck and body are somewhat longer, and 

 the snout extends to a very great length : like the for- 

 mer animal, it sits upon its hinder legs, and in that at- 

 titude eats every kind of food : frequently it devours 

 part of its tail, which exceeds the racoon's in length. 

 When sleeping it rolls itself into a ball, and enjoys its 

 repose for fifteen hours at a time. 



THE ANT-BEAR. 



The ant-bear is a native of the new continent, and 

 utterly unknown to the inhabitants of the old. The 

 larger and smaller tamanda are a species of this ani- 

 mal, and wholly exist upon the same food, though 

 they differ greatly in size ; the larger tamanda being 

 near four feet in length, whilst the ant-bear does not 

 exceed seven inches from the tip of the nose to the in- 

 sertion of the tail : the hair of this animal is of a beau- 

 tiful red mixed with yellow; the tail is long and tufted, 

 and capable of being turned, like a squirrel's, on the 

 back ; the snout is so disproportioned to the rest of 

 the body, that it forms a fourth of the creature's 

 length : the tongue is so extremely long and slender, 

 that the animal always keeps it doubled in its mouth ; 

 and when it approaches the ant's dwelling, it gene- 

 rally contrives to hide itself with dried leaves, or creeps 

 softly along upon its belly, and then stretches out its 

 tongue near, the insect's abode ; who, taking it for a 

 piece of raw flesh, crawl upon it, ancl are instantly en- 

 snared, as it is covered over with a slimy kind of fluid, 

 which, like bird-lime, prevents the possibility of retreat. 



