68 After Big Game in Central Africa 



short thick tail almost hairless, and the corpulescence 

 of an adult pig such is the not very flattering 

 portrait of the ant-eater. It was received at the 

 camp with all kinds of exclamations, the oldest 

 declaring that this animal brought misfortune, and 

 that it was customary upon meeting it to return 

 home and not continue a journey. I feel quite 

 certain upon hearing this that whatever happens 

 will be put down to this unfortunate ant-eater. In 

 fact, all our fruitless attempts to overtake elephants, 

 ailments, everything, even the bad weather, will be 

 attributed to it during our stay in this place. 



That does not prevent my men from eating and 

 declaring it excellent, in which I share their opinion. 

 It is, indeed, difficult to find more delicate flesh. 

 The ant-eater is an animal essentially nocturnal : 

 consequently, it is rarely seen, and its habits being 

 very little known accounts for the superstitions. 

 Few natives among those who frequent the woods 

 have ever seen it. Do not think that all blacks 

 are accustomed to the bush. The majority in 

 these countries are farmers ; they know merely 

 the names of the rare animals which they have 

 met in following the paths leading from their 

 village to neighbouring villages ; hunters among the 

 population are the exception. A large number of 

 my bearers did not know even the native names for 

 all the antelopes which I sent to the camp. Every 

 peasant in France is acquainted with the habits of 

 hares and partridges. In Africa, where the large 

 fauna keep in the thickets far from human beings, it 



