ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



"HE ENGENDERS A PEELING OF PERFECT BALANC 

 Sl'RENESS OF FOOTHOLD" 



men. Wit li our modern little spherical Cyclopes 

 we can find no parallel, except as to the final 

 phrase. But though more prosaically arboreal, 

 insectivorous, ei avec deux yeux, yet the Silky 

 Ant-eater is not an unworthy namesake. 



At a touch, at a trembling of the branch, the 

 little creature straightens up and assumes a 

 most remarkable attitude. The tail 

 takes a tight grip about the branch. 

 Both arms are raised in front of the 

 face, the red soles and the bright 

 pink muzzle showing as three strange 

 bits of brilliant color. The claws are 

 laid along the snout back of the tip. 

 and this weird posture brings to the 

 imagination thoughts of some strange 

 gnome performing an equally strange 

 religious rite, or an eery dwarf go- 

 ing through the movements of some 

 unknown, silent dance. 



Thus swaying from side to side, in 

 slow inexplicable rhythm, the little 

 ant-eater awaits further attack on 

 the part of his disturber. At the 

 least touch on the upraised palms or 

 the snout, both limbs are brought 

 down as quick as a flash, and one has 

 to be on the alert to avoid getting a 

 vicious slash from the strong claws 

 which, like stilettos, shoot forth from 

 the line of the snout. 



If the disturbance is severe, the 

 creature puts its whole back and 



body into the blow and the claws 

 come down on the branch or any- 

 thing which intervenes with most 

 surprising force. 



My assistant incautiously received 

 a slight scratch from such a stroke. 

 and required two weeks' treatment 

 to avoid blood poisoning. Although 

 thus quiescently awaiting attack, the 

 Silky Ant-eater is far from being 

 unarmed, even in addition to his 

 elaws. His thirty-two ribs are wid- 

 ened and flattened until they form 

 a veritable box of bone, and with the 

 ^H dense, matted coat of fur, must of- 

 fer an almost perfect protection to 

 an attacking snake, small owl or car- 

 nivore. Though concealed beneath 

 a camouflage of fur, yet the ribs pro- 

 tect the vital organs as completely 

 as the external plates of the scaly 

 ant-eater or the armadillo. 



A.N1J 



The color of the fur on the body 

 of this ant-eater is, in general, a 

 grizzled huffy grey, the hairs being long, dense. 

 and witii a silvery gloss. On the head and legs 

 and tail this becomes a cold grey. A narrow 

 blackish-brown line on the crown broadens sud- 

 denly on the neck and back, narrowing and 

 dying out on the lower back. 



These colors and patterns are emphasized on 



SKIN OF GREAT ANT-EATER 

 \\ measured exactly eisrht feet from n< 



