298 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



serve in this animal another instance of a connecting link 

 in the great chain of animal existence. 



The Cape Ant-eater, whatever may be its generic analo- 

 gies or anomalies, is aptly so named from the principal 

 food on which it lives. It is said to thrust its extensible 

 tongue into, the Ant-hills, and this organ being furnished 

 with a glutinous secretion, is thereby the better enabled 

 to secure by adhesion a greater number of these insects, 

 which are thus conveyed into the mouth of the animal. A 

 similar mode of feeding was attributed to the Ant-eaters 

 of America, till D'Azara stated that they merely scratched 

 the Ant-hill, which induced the insects to come to the sur- 

 face in great numbers, when the animal passed his tongue 

 horizontally along the surface among them, and thus se- 

 cured his prey. This we suspect also to be the mode of 

 operation of the present species. 



Hardvark, says Mr. Burchell, is the colonial name of 

 this animal and signifies Earth-Hog; and indeed it may, 

 from its appearance and size, be more justly compared to 

 the Hog than to the other Ant-eaters ; but in its mode of 

 life, however, it exactly resembles the latter. With its 

 fore-feet, which are admirably formed for that use, it digs 

 a deep hole, wherein it lies concealed the whole of the day, 

 never venturing out but at night, when it repairs to feed at 

 the Ant-hills, which abound in many parts of the country. 

 Scratching a hole on one side of them, it disturbs the little 

 community, on which, the insects running about in confu- 

 sion, are easily drawn into the animal's mouth by the long 

 slender tongue with which nature has provided it for this 

 purpose. Without tusks, or any efficient teeth, this animal 

 is quite defenceless, and depends for its safety solely on con- 

 cealment ; in which it so completely succeeds, that no ani- 

 mal is less seldom seen* and from its power of burrowing 

 with incredible rapidity away from those who endeavour to 



