64 The Great World's Farm 



there is decaying vegetable matter, there carbon dioxide 

 and other gases are formed, which are absorbed by the 

 rain in its passage through the earth, and increase in a 

 very high degree its power of acting upon the rocks 

 beneath. 



We cannot attempt to give more than a sketch, and 

 that a very shght one, of the work done by nature's vari- 

 ous field-laborers; but slight as it is, it would be incom- 

 plete without some mention of the very curious animals 

 known as ant-eaters, which are found throughout the 

 tropics. 



These creatures have very long, thin, pliable tongues, 

 looking like red earthworms, and as if they were endowed 

 with independent life; and when they can get at them 

 they lick up the ants with marvellous rapidity. 



The ants, as we have seen, dwell, many of them, within 

 walls almost as hard and strong as if built of stone or 

 brick, capable, one would think, of defying the attack of 

 almost any animal. But ant-eaters are armed with tre- 

 mendously powerful claws — so powerful that with them 

 they are able to dig and tear down even these strong cita- 

 dels; and this done, they sweep up the terrified inhabi- 

 tants by thousands. 



The great ant-eater, or ant-bear of tropical South 

 America, is like the Aard-Vark, but larger, and is so bold 

 that it will sit up and fight even a "tiger," or more prop- 

 erly jaguar, with the very long, curved claws of its fore- 

 feet. Yet notwithstanding its size and strength, it lives 

 chiefly on ants. 



By this and other ant-eaters the hills and mounds of 

 the ants are demolished, and the earth which they have 

 excavated with so much labor is returned to the soil. 



