ANT-EATERS MANIS. 95 



parallel bands, which give the body the faculty of bending; the 

 tail is sometimes covered with a succession of rings; and some- 

 times, like the legs, only with different tubercles ; a few scatter- 

 ing hairs grow between the scales, or on parts of the body that 

 are not covered by these plates. These animals have large ears, 

 and large nails; the number of the latter is always five behind; 

 and sometimes four, and at others,five before. The armadillos 

 vary in size, from that of a badger to that of a hedgehog ; they 

 are stout in the body and low on their legs. They are all origin- 

 ally from the hot or temperate parts of America; they burrow, 

 and feed partly on insects, partly on vegetables and in part on 

 dead bodies. 



7. 2nd. The ANT-EATPRS, Myrmecoplwya, inhabit the same 

 countries as the armadillos, but are readily distinguished from 

 them, because their body is hairy like that of most mammals, and 

 their muzzle,drawn out in a long cylindrical tube, is terminated 

 by a small mouth, which is entirely without teeth. Their jaws, 

 which are very long, they can scarcely separate from each other, 

 nor can they use them to seize or compress their food ; but they 

 are provided with a very long filiform tongue, which they can 

 project to a considerable distance beyond the mouth, and which 

 always being covered with a viscid, gluey humor, serves them 

 to seize the ants and other insects upon which they feed. By the 

 assistance of their strong, trenchant nails, which vary in number 

 according to the species, the ant-eaters tear up the nests of the 

 Termites, or white ants, and at the moment these little insects 

 sally forth in crowds from their retreat, to form a rampart and 

 defend themselves, they protrude upon them their viscid tongue, 

 and drawing it in again suddenly, convey them into their mouth. 

 When at rest, these nails, which serve also as defensive arms, are 

 folded back against a callosity on the wrist, and the animal only 

 rests its foot on the side, and its gait is slow. Some species have 

 a prehensile tail, by which they suspend themselves from branches 

 of trees ; the largest species, called Tai/ninoir, does not possess this 

 faculty; it is four feet long, and inhabits low, humid places. 



3d. The MANIS, or PANGOLINS, (I'lale 4, //V. 4) are without 

 teeth, have a very extensible tongue, and Jive on ants and termites 

 like the preceding; but their body, extremities and tail, are 

 covered with large trenchant scales, disposed like tiles, and 

 which are raised when they roll themselves into a ball to avoid 

 danger ; a few long bristles grow at the base of these scales. 

 They all belong to the old continent, Asia or Africa. 



7. What are Ant eaters ? Upon what do they feed ? How do they seize 

 their prey ? 



8, What is the Manis ? How does the Manis differ from the Ant-eater ? 



