25 



ing, and this, coupled with what I have just now related, makes me 

 not doubt that, if circumstances should require it, they climb trees in 

 their wild state with the same agility. 



" It secretes a liquid substance, transparent like water, which 

 drops down almost constantly out of its nostrils and mouth ; this is 

 the more remarkable, as it used very little water. The Llama, with- 

 out using much water, possesses likewise a superabundant quantity 

 of saliva. I recollect, before the pen was finished, when lying in the 

 sun, it perspired so profusely that its hair could not have been more 

 wet had the animal been in the water. It is remarkable that the 

 four individuals, and the young one which we secured at Fort San 

 Joaquim, were all females ; in no instance have we observed a male. 

 What, then, is the natural question, becomes of the males } 1 can 

 give no other answer than that the males are unproportioned to the 

 number of females, and are, no doubt, much more shy. Those which 

 we secured were caught during day ; it issues, perhaps, from the dense 

 forests only by night. A similar instance offers itself in the genus 

 Auchenia, of which the males do not quit their pastures in quest of 

 the females, and herds exclusively of females and males are met 

 with ; it is only during the rutting season that they mix, when the 

 males combat for the females. 



" If it could be substantiated that the number of males is consi- 

 derably smaller than that of the females, in that circumstance would 

 rest an additional ground for supposing that the extinction of its 

 species, like those of the Edentata in general, is determined upon. 



" The flesh of the Ant-bear is eaten by many of the native tribes, 

 and also by the negroes, who consider its skin a great delicacy. 



"The trivial name of the Brazilians for the Myrmecophaga jubata 

 is Tamandua Bandeira ; in the Lingua Geral, Tamandu Assu ; the 

 Wapeshana Indians call it Barshema ; the Macusis, Warisi-rima ; 

 the Arowaaks, Barem ; the Warows, Hohitia. 



" Finally, I subjoin some detailed measurements which were taken 

 from a female Ant-bear, immediately after her death. 



Feet. Inches. 



Height from the highest part of the back 3 



Height from the smallest part of the back to the sole 



of the hind foot 2 -^lO 



Length from the back of the skull to the insertion of '' ' 



the tail 3 7 



Length of tail * 3 6 



Breadth of the tail (when its hairs are standing erect) 



across the middle 2 3 



Ditto ditto near the root 1 8 



Length from the point of the shoulder to the malleolus 



of the fore foot 1 8-t 



Girth of the fore leg below the point of the shoulder. . 1 44- 



Girth of fore feet immediately below the knee 84- 



Length from the knee-joint to the malleolus 5 



Length of sole of hind-feet 5^ 



Breadth of ditto 34 



