( 100 5 



The Ant-Eaters feed folely on infefts, and particularly on ants and millepedes ; 

 and the manner in which they procure the infers is extremely curious. The 

 animal thrufts out its tongue, which is iliaped like a worm, and of a great 

 length, and lays it amongft heaps of thefc creatirres -, and when by means 

 of the vifcid moifture with which it is covered, ic is fufficiently loaded with 

 infefts, it then retrafls it fuddenly, and fwallows them. In a ftate of captivity 

 the fpecies here reprefented has been known to fet;d on raw meat, cut very 

 fmall. This Ipecies far exceeds in fize all the reft of its genus, and the 

 fpecimen from which this figure was taken is perhaps the largefl ever brought 

 into Europe, 



Its leno-th is upwards of {even feet. It is an animal of an aukward and 

 uncouth appearance. Its colour is a dark grey; with a very broad band of 

 black, runnino- from the neck downwards on each fide the body, and growing 

 Gradually narrower as it pafTes down. This black band is accompanied on the 

 upper part by a ftreak of white. The fnout is very long and tubular. The 

 tail is black, and is furnilhed with coarfe hair of a very great length. On 

 each of the fore-legs is alfo a patch of black a little above the feet. The 

 fore-feet are armed with extremely ftrong and crooked claws, which render 

 this creature, tho' deftitute of teeth, a very formidable adverfary, fince it has 

 been known to deftroy anim.als of much greater apparent ftrength than itfelf ; 

 and fixino- its claws upon them, exerts fuch powerful force as to kill them by 

 laceration and continued preiTure, 



It is a nocturnal animal, and is faid to fleep during the day in retired places. 

 Its pace is Ibmewhat flow, and its manners heavy and ftupid. 



