] 



498 ANT-EATERS OF THE NEW AND THE OLD WORLD 



quadrupeds, but a convenient furrow for a long and extensile 

 tongue — the use of which will immediately become apparent 

 on following the animal into the Brazilian campos, where, as we 

 have seen in a former chapter, the wonderful cities of the white 

 ant are dispersed over the plains in such incalculable numbers. 

 Approaching one of these structures, the ant-bear strikes a hole 

 through . its wall of clay, with his powerful crooked claws, and 

 as the ants issue forth by thousands to resent the insult, stretches 

 out his tongue for their reception. Their furious legions, eager 

 for revenge, immediately rush upon it, and, vainly endeavouring 

 to pierce its thick skin with their mandibles, remain sticking 

 in the glutinous liquid with which it is lubricated from two 

 very large glands situated below its root. When sufficiently 

 charged with prey, the ant-bear suddenly withdraws his tongue 

 and swallows all the insects. 



Without swiftness to enable him to escape from his enemies, 

 for man is superior to him in speed ; without teeth, the posses- 

 sion of which would assist him in self-defence ; without the power 

 of burrowing in the ground, by which he might conceal himself 

 from his pursuers ; without a cave to retire to, the ant-bear 

 still ranges through the wilderness in perfect safety, and fears 

 neither the boa nor the jaguar, for he has full reliance on his 

 powerful fore-legs and their tremendous claws. Richard Schom- 

 burgk had an opportunity of witnessing a young ant-bear make 

 use of these formidable weapons. 



On the enemy's approach it assumed the defensive, but in 

 such a manner as to make the boldest aggressor pause, for, rest- 

 ing on its left fore-foot, it struck out so desperately with its right 

 paw as would undoubtedly have torn off the flesh of any one that 

 came in contact with its claws. Attacked from behind, it turned 

 round with the rapidity of lightning, and on being assailed from 

 several quarters at once, threw itself on its back, and, desperately 

 fighting with both its fore-legs, uttered at the same time an 

 angry growl of defiance. In fact, the ant-bear is so formidable 

 an opponent that he is said not unfrequently to vanquish even" 

 the jaguar, the lord of the American forests, for the latter is 

 often found swimming in his blood, with ripped-up bowels, a 

 woimd which, of all the beasts of the wilderness, the claws of 

 the ant-bear are alone able to inflict. 



