KARROO BEASTS, BIRDS AND REPTILES. 261 



They work with a zeal worthy of a better cause, and 

 the amount of damage their powerful jaws can do in 

 one night is almost incredible. 



Very pretty necklaces are made of the threaded 

 eggs of one kind of ant. They are rough and irregular 

 in shape, and possess such a soft lustre, that but for 

 their deep golden colour they might almost be taken 

 for inferior pearls. 



It is some satisfaction to know that the ranks of 

 Cape ants are considerably thinned by several inveterate 

 enemies. One of these is that strange burrowing animal 

 the ant-bear, called by the Dutch aardvaark (earth- 

 pig). * There is one in the Zoo ; and it is about as un- 

 canny and nightmare-like a beast as could be imagined 

 or dreamed of a sort of crazy combination of calf and 

 pig, reminding one of the Mock Turtle in "Alice's 

 Adventures." Like that tearful animal, it possesses a 

 head and body which do not in the smallest degree 

 appear to belong to each other. The longest, narrowest 

 and boniest of calves' heads, so pallid and sickly in 

 complexion, and so entirely hairless, as to appear not 

 only dead, but neatly scraped and cleaned all ready for 

 cooking, is joined without the intervention of any 

 neck to speak of to a fat, pig-like body, very scantily 

 clothed with short, bristly hairs. The eyes are large 

 and dark, the bare, pink ears are of rabbit-like pro- 

 portions, and the calf's head terminates in a pig's 

 snout, thickly lined with hair. This latter is the only 

 hirsute adornment possessed by the goblin-like coun- 

 * Orycteropus capensis. 



