MULLAITIVTJ. 269 



lowed underneath and rounded on the top, its official pm-pose being 

 to protect tlie animal's head. In walking he carried his back very 

 highly arched in the middle, and the long, curved claws of his fore- 

 feet he bent under his feet until they pointed directly backward, 

 and literally walked on them. His heavy tail barely cleared the 

 ground in walking, and bis nose was always carried low, on the 

 lookout for ants. He often stood fully erect on his hind legs, like 

 a kangaroo, when looking about in search of food. Like the knights 

 of old, his armor clanked as he walked along. 



Whenever he found a colony of ants he would begin to dig 

 most industriously, and nothing but brick or stone could resist the 

 attacks of those powerful claws. It was great fun to see him attack 

 an ant-hill. After digging a little distance into the hill and expos- 

 ing the interior, he would thrust his slender, gelatinous tongue for 

 six inches or more into the passage-ways one after another, and 

 draw it out thickly covered with ants. It made my flesh creep to 

 see the vicious little insects upon the animal's tongue and going 

 into its mouth ; but I wished there were enough ant-eaters in the 

 world to exterminate the whole family. 



If ever a small animal was especially created to resist the at- 

 tacks of destroyers, that manis must have been the one. In such 

 .plate-armor as he wore he could roll himself up and defy the teeth 

 of the jackal, or leopard, or the fangs of the cobra. Having no 

 teeth at all, and claws fashioned only for digging, he would have 

 fared badly in the jungle without his defensive coat of mail. From 

 the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, he was covered with broad, 

 flattened, shield-shaped plates of clear, gray horn. These plates — 

 which were concave underneath and convex above — lay close down 

 upon the skin upon each other, and were arranged in rows with 

 great regularity, beautifully imbricated, and overlapped as perfectly 

 as the slates of a good roof. 



My toothless pet was quite peaceable, but not at all affectionate, 

 and when I undertook to cultivate his acquaintance, my advances 

 were received in true English style. Not having any one to intro- 

 duce me, I undertook to get along without that formality ; but it 

 was of no use.- He immediately tucked his head down between his 

 four legs, brought his tail under his body and lap over his head, 

 and held it there, forming of himself a flattened baU completely 

 covered with scales. 



I said to him, "My fine fellow, I really must insist upon know 

 ing you more intimately ; so here goes." 



