178 WANDERINGS IN 



THIRD animals of the feline species, by which they 



JOURNEY. 



are enabled to preserve the sharpness of their 

 claws on the most flinty path. A slight inspec- 

 tion of the fore-feet of the ant-bear, will imme- 

 diately convince you of the mistake artists and 

 naturalists have fallen into, by putting his fore- 

 feet in the same position as those of other quad- 

 * rupeds ; for you will perceive that the whole 

 outer side of his foot is not only deprived of 

 hair, but is hard and callous ; proof positive of 

 its being in perpetual contact with the ground. 

 Now, on the contrary, the inner side of the 

 bottom of his foot is soft and rather hairy. 



There is another singularity in the anatomy of 



Peculiarity * * 



in the ana- ^he ant-bear, I believe, as yet unnoticed in the 



tomyofthe 



Ant-bear, page of natural history. He has two very large 

 glands situated below the root of the tongue. 

 From these is emitted a glutinous liquid, with 

 which his long tongue is lubricated when he puts 

 it into the ants' nests. These glands are of the 

 same substance as those found in the lower jaw of 

 the woodpecker. The secretion from them, when 

 wet, is very clammy and adhesive, but on being 

 dried it loses these qualities, and you can pul- 

 verize it betwixt your finger and thumb ; so 

 that, in dissection, if any of it has got upon 

 the fur of the animal, or the feathers of the 

 bird, allow it to dry there, and then it may be 

 removed without leaving the least stain behind. 

 The ant-bear is a pacific animal. He is never 



