STORY OF THE PANGOLIN. 



In Africa, south of the Sahara desert and in some parts of India, I have 

 often come across an animal which always made me think of a huge pine cone 

 supplied with a head and legs. This animal is known as the pangolin, which 

 feeds upon ants, although belonging to a different family from the true ant- 

 eaters. The whole upper surface of the body, the sides and the tail are covered 

 with large overlapping horny scales. The limbs are short, with five toes. Its 

 long worm-like tongue is capable of being extended a great distance from its 

 inouth. 



The largest pangolins reach a length of six feet. They are burrowing 

 animals, and are only abroad at night. They can roll themselves in a ball like 

 the other ant-eaters, and when they are thus roiled up their muscular strength 

 is something enormous. 



Asia is inhabited by three species O'f the family, namely, the Indian pango^ 

 lin, confined to India and Ceylon ; the Chinese pangolin, ranging from Nipal 

 and Assam to China ; and the Malayan pangolin, inhabiting the regions to the 

 westward of the Bay of Bengal as far as Celebes, and also occurring in North- 



Eastern India. 



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