360 THE HARMONIES OF NATURE. 



over the plain from a height of seventeen feet or more. During 

 the hours of darkness, the large, erect, and pointed ears of the 

 giraffe no doubt render him as trusty services as the keenness 

 of his vision by day. When flight becomes necessary, he bounds 

 away in a graceful undulating canter ; or, when driven to battle, 

 strikes out so powerfully with his well-armed feet, as to defeat 

 even the lion. His horns, small as they are, and muffled with 

 skin and hair, are likewise no contemptible weapons, when, with 

 a sidelong sweep of the neck, he levels them at full swing against 

 his adversary's head. 



Of all the quadrupeds the sloth was supposed to be the most 

 helpless; but modern travellers, who have had occasion to observe 

 him in his native haunts, have fully corrected this erroneous 

 opinion. The colour of his hair so strongly resembles the hue 

 of the moss which grows on the trees, that even the falcon- 

 eyed Indian, accustomed from his earliest infancy to note the 

 slightest ' signs of forest- life, is hardly able to distinguish him 

 from the branches to which he clings. This no doubt serves 

 him as a protection against many enemies, and when discovered 

 he defends himself most vigorously with his formidable claws ; 

 and woe to the tiger-cat or tree-snake that comes within their 

 reach ! 



The great ant-eater, to whom Nature has denied sharp teeth 

 and a rapid flight, who is unable to burrow or to roll himself up 

 in a ball, still ranges through the wilderness in perfect safety, 

 and fears no hostile encounter, for he has full reliance on his 

 powerful forelegs and their tremendous claws. Dr. Richard 

 Schomburgk had an opportunity of witnessing how a young 

 ant-eater made use of these formidable weapons. On the enemy's 

 approach it assumed the defensive, but in such a manner as 

 to make even the boldest aggressor quail ; for, resting on its left 

 forefoot, ifc struck out desperately with its right paw. Assailed 

 from behind, it wheeled round with the rapidity of lightning ; 

 and on being attacked from several quarters at once, threw itself 

 on its back, and fought with both its forepaws, uttering at the 

 same time an angry growl of defiance. In fact, the great ant- 

 eater is so formidable an opponent, that he is said not unfre- 

 quently to vanquish even the jaguar ; for the latter is often found 

 weltering in his blood, with ripped-up bowels a wound which 

 the claws of the ant-eater alone are able to inflict. 



