SOUTH AMERICA. 177 



account of this caution, that naturalists have THIRD 



JOUKNKY. 



never yet given to the world a true and correct 

 drawing of this singular animal, or described the 

 peculiar position of his fore-feet when he walks or 

 stands. If, in taking a drawing from a dead ant- 

 bear, you judge of the position in which he 

 stands from that of all other terrestrial animals, 

 the sloth excepted, you will be in error. Examine 

 only a figure of this animal, in books of natural 

 history, or inspect a stuffed specimen in the 

 best museums, and you will see that the fore 

 claws are just in the same forward attitude 

 as those of a dog, or a common bear when he 

 walks or stands. But this is a distorted and 

 unnatural position ; and in life, would be a 

 painful and intolerable attitude for the ant-bear. 

 The length and curve of his claws cannot admit 

 of such a position. When he walks or stands, 

 his feet have somewhat the appearance of a 

 club-hand. He goes entirely on the outer side 

 of his fore-feet, which are quite bent inwards ; 

 the claws collected into a point, and going 

 under the foot. In this position he is quite at 

 ease ; while his long claws are disposed of in 

 a manner to render them harmless to him, and 

 are prevented from becoming dull and worn, 

 like those of the dog, which would inevitably 

 be the case, did their points come in actual 

 contact with the ground; for his claws have 

 not that retractile power which is given to 



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