ORDER EDENTATA. 301 



shakes and elevates it when angry. It has two pectoral 

 teats. The fur is thick, harsh, short on the head and ears, 

 but rather longer on the shoulders. Between the ears com- 

 mences a band or mane of erect hairs, which runs down 

 the spine and tail. An oblique, black, slightly-crescented 

 stripe, bordered with white on each side, passes across each 

 shoulder from the side of the neck, inclining toward the 

 upper part of the back. Under the third ray is a slight 

 mixture of dark and white, lighter on the sides of the 

 body, which forms, indeed, the ground colour of the whole 

 animal. On the toes of the fore feet is a black spot, above 

 this another, perfectly white, which surrounds the foot, and 

 still higher is another of a deep black. 



The Maned Ant-eater inhabits the low and swampy 

 country from Paraguay to the river Plate ; it is also found 

 occasionally in the woods, but it never climbs the trees. 

 It moves with the muzzle close to the ground, with a slow 

 and heavy step ; and although it gallops when hunted, its 

 utmost speed is not equal to one-half that of a man. 

 When met with, it maybe driven before with as much faci- 

 lity as an ass ; but, if over-pressed, it seats itself to receive 

 its aggressor with its large strong nails and powerful arms, 

 which constitute, in fact, its only means of defence. It 

 has been said that the Jaguar dare not attack this animal, 

 and that the Maned-Ant-Eater will embrace and squeeze 

 him in his arms, drawing at the same time his great nails 

 close together, till he has deprived the Jaguar of life, 

 and that sometimes both these animals are thus killed by 

 each other at once. It is certain that the animal de- 

 fends itself in this manner; but it is perfectly incredi- 

 ble, says D'Azara, that it can prevail against the Jaguar, 

 an animal which by a single bite, or a single blow of the 

 paw, could lay the Ant-Eater dead at its feet long before 

 it could have any opportunity of embracing its adversary, 

 an action, however effectual, which the animal cannot per- 



Vou III. Y 



