304 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



nearly round, covered with fur near the base, but denuded 

 as it approaches the end. The head is elongated, and. 

 forms with the neck a slightly-arched cone ; the opening of 

 the mouth is very small ; the eyes are small ; the ears round ; 

 the body elongated and cylindrical ; the legs very strong; 

 and the fur is silky and shining, and between two and three 

 inches in length in the longest parts. 



It is very subject to deviate from the common type in 

 the colour of the fur : the established varieties will be 

 found noticed in the table. 



This species differs in its habits from the last, princi- 

 pally in being a climber, in doing which it is assisted by 

 its prehensile tail, like the division of American monkeys 

 distinguished by the same peculiarity. It emits a strong 

 scent of musk, which may be smelt at a considerable dis- 

 tance^ particularly when the animal is irritated. It seems, 

 moreover, to eat honey, and probably the bees, which do 

 not sting in its native habitat, and live in the clefts of 

 trees. In sleeping the animal lies on the belly, the muzzle 

 is placed under the chest, and the head is hidden under the 

 neck ; the anterior limbs and the tail are placed along the 

 side. The details of its organization accord with those of 

 the Maned Ant-eater, except, as already stated, that this 

 has the body proportionally thicker, and the tail round with- 

 out long hairs, and the lower third of it altogether naked. 



We have again to refer to one of our drawings of an 

 inedited variety, as we presume, of this species. The fur 

 of this is of two colours : the whole of the head and 

 muzzle, the legs and feet, and the tail, except for about 

 one-eighth of its length from its insertion, are of a pale 

 straw colour ; the same colour is also continued over the 

 top of the shoulders and down the spine more than half its 

 length, where it terminates in a point ; the rest of the fur, 

 including a narrowish stripe over the shoulder, is of a very 

 dark brown, approaching to black, so that the animal has 



