MAMMALIA. 305 



animals (Fig. 331) are found in South America. The muz- 

 zle is extremely long, the mouth toothless, the tongue of 

 great length and used to gather up ants, the capture being 

 helped by a viscid saliva that covers it. The body is cov- 

 ered with thick, coarse hairs, that are so developed upon 

 the tail that it completely covers the body, affording pro- 

 tection to the young that cling to the mother's back, the 

 family resembling a bush of dried herbage. The claws 

 are extremely powerful, and used in tearing open- the nests 

 of ants, and persons have been killed by them. The little 

 ant-eaters have two toes, a prehensile tail, and live in trees, 

 finding protection in the resemblance to the bark and moss. 

 Allied to these is the aard-vark, or South African ant-eater 

 (Fig. 329), that has long ears, a pig-like snout, and burrows 

 in the ground, coming out at night to prey upon ants. 



Armadillos (Dasypodidce). These are the most won- 

 derful of all mammals, being covered with horny plates or 

 scales. The armor is arranged in different regions : one 

 shield covers the 

 head, another 

 the shoulders, 

 and another the 

 rump, while be- 

 tween the two 

 latter are several 

 bands allowing 



free movement. FIG. 330. Ghplocon, a gigantic extinct armadillo. 



The tail is pro- 

 tected by rings, and the legs by horny tubercles. The 

 muzzle is pointed, as in the aard-vark, the ears are long, 

 and claws powerful, adapted for digging (Fig. 331). The 

 giant armadillo attains a length of four feet. In the Chla- 

 mydophorus the back only is protected by an armor made 

 up of square, cubical plates, connected by a leathery de- 

 velopment. The fore-claws are very powerful. A fossil 

 armadillo, found near the La Plata, was as large as a 



