MAMMALIA—ANT-EATER. 273 
TE WAT TR WA OU} 
Anp the French fourmillier, or ant-eater. He is still much smaller than 
the tamandua, being not above six or seven inches in length from the extre- 
mity of the snout to the tail; his head is two inches long; the snout is not 
near so long as-that of the tamanoir, or the tamandua; his tail is seven 
inches in length, is bent underneath, and bare at the end ; his tongue is nar- 
row, long, and flat ; his neck is almost bare; the head is large in proportion 
to the body ; his eyes placed low, at a little distance from the corners of the 
mouth; his ears are small and hidden by the hair; his legs are but three 
inches in height; the fore feet have no more than two claws, the outward 
is much longer than the inward one; the hind feet have four claws; the 
hair of the body is about nine inches long; he feels smooth; his color is 
shining, diversified with red and yellow; his feet are not made to walk, but 
to climb up, and to take hold of branches of trees, on which he hangs him- 
self by the extremity of his tail. 
These three animals, sc different in the size and proportions of the body, 
have, nevertheless, many things in common, as to conformation and their 
natural instinct. All three feed upon ants, and suck honey and other liquid 
and viscous substances ; they gather quickly crumbs of bread’and small pieces 
of meat; they are tamed and domesticated easily ; they can subsist a long 
while without food; they do not swallow all the liquor which they keep in 
their mouth —one part of it issues out of their nostrils; they commonly 
sleep in the daytime, and change their station in the night; they go so 
slowly, that a man may overtake them easily whilst running in open ground. 
The savages eat their flesh, which has, however, an unsavory taste. 
The tamanoir looks ata distance like a great fox, and for that reason 
some travellers call him the American fox; he is strong enough to defend 
himself against a large dog, and even a jaguar; when he is attacked he 
fights standing on his hind legs, like the bear, and makes use of his fore 
claws, which are murdering weapons, for his protection; afterwards he lies 
on his back to use his hind legs, and in this situation he is almost invinci« 
ole; he fights with obstinacy to the last extremity, and even after he has 
put his adversary to death, he keeps hold of him a long while. He is 
covered with long bushy hair, and a very thick skin ; besides, his flesh is 
remarkably hard, and he seldom loses his life in these engagements. 
The tamanoir, the tamandua, and the fourmillier, are natives of the 
hottest climates only of America; they are found in Brazil, in Guiana, and 
in the country of the Amazons, &c.; they do not breed in Canada, nor in 
the other frozen regions of the New World, and do not belong consequently 
to the Ancient Continent. — 
We copy the following from ‘‘ Waterton’s Wanderings.” 
“The ants have their enemies, as well as the rest of animated nature. 
. 
-_— 
1 Myrmecophaga didactyla, Lin. 
35 , 
